Jude Bellingham: The Driving Force of England's Success

Jude Bellingham is not easing his way into another international tournament. He is grabbing it by the throat.

Handed a starting place as England opened their latest campaign with a 4-2 win over Croatia, the midfielder immediately became the pulse of Gareth Southgate’s side, dragging them through a chaotic contest and setting the tone for what followed. When the next test arrived against Panama, it was Bellingham who broke the deadlock in a tight, awkward encounter that threatened to drift.

England needed a spark. Again. Bellingham supplied it.

So did Harry Kane. The captain, already rewriting national records, has found a kindred spirit in the 21-year-old. Both were on target in a breathless last-16 victory over Mexico at the iconic Azteca Stadium, a match that felt as much like a test of nerve as of talent.

In that cauldron, Bellingham didn’t just cope. He exploded.

He struck a rapid first-half brace, two quick-fire blows that sent England’s supporters into delirium and Mexico spinning. It was the kind of performance that doesn’t just win knockout ties; it shifts perception of what a player is and what he might become.

His temperament has been scrutinised, his celebrations dissected, his personality debated. None of it has dented the self-belief that drives him. That famous “who else” celebration from Euro 2024 was not a gimmick; it was a statement.

Danny Murphy, watching on as a former England midfielder who knows the weight of that shirt, sees something rare. Speaking to GOAL, he described Bellingham as “a wonderful footballer in terms of his all-round game, athleticism, technical ability, fitness. He's got the lot but he's also got that wonderful mentality and belief in himself that you see very rarely in young players when you look down the years. Maybe Stevie G, maybe [Wayne] Rooney, Michael Owen, that type of level.”

Murphy had seen this coming. Even during England’s stuttering moments at Euro 2024, he recalls Bellingham refusing to disappear.

“He's done it for years. It doesn't surprise me what he's doing,” Murphy said. “Even in the Euros when we played badly he was still the one. I was at games where he was the one trying to make things happen - he had the overhead kick and the header in the first game to get us the win.”

That blend of talent and mentality is what separates the good from the generational. Plenty of players have one. Very few possess both at this intensity.

“He's got something very few players have, which is that balance between wonderful ability and an unbelievable mentality and belief in himself,” Murphy added. He admitted he found the debate over whether Bellingham should start “a little bit laughable”, not out of disrespect for other options, but because “Bellingham's levels are a step above and he's proven it in big tournaments.”

The evidence is not confined to England duty. Bellingham walked into Real Madrid and behaved as if the Bernabéu were just another stage built for him. Goals, assists, match-winning moments – he stacked them up in a debut season that would have crushed lesser characters.

“Actually, even if you take away international football, to walk into Madrid and do what he did in that season is nothing short of incredible,” Murphy said. “The only reason this season's been a bit off for him is because of some injuries.”

Fit? He plays. Simple as that.

“If he's fit, he plays. It doesn't matter where either. It actually doesn't matter where because he's so blessed,” Murphy insisted. Coaches can shuffle systems and tweak shapes, but Bellingham’s presence feels non-negotiable. He can operate as a No. 8, a No. 10, a roaming force between the lines. The role bends to him, not the other way round.

There is a steel edge to his personality that divides opinion. Some see arrogance. Others see exactly what the elite requires. Murphy is in no doubt where he stands.

“I'm really pleased for him because although some people don't like that kind of arrogance or that belief and it comes across to some the wrong way, I love that because it never, ever impacts his output in the game,” he said. “Normally, you get players who think they're amazing and they are amazing but sometimes they walk about and think that scheme should work for them. He's not that guy.”

That is the crucial distinction. Confidence without work rate can grate. Confidence with relentless graft becomes leadership.

Pressed on that balance, Murphy pointed to a trait that many of the greats lack: the willingness to do the dirty work without losing the sparkle.

“It's not always conducive with a phenomenal work ethic,” he said. “The best players over the years gone by, you could look down at some of them and go, yes, he was amazing but I didn't see him tracking back or pressing or closing down. Salah would be a good example of that. He's not particularly bothered about the defending but it doesn't matter because he wins you so many football matches. Bellingham's both.”

That “both” is what terrifies opponents. He will press, tackle, track runners – and then, in the next phase, glide past markers and decide the match. He looks, as Murphy puts it, like a player who can win games on his own.

“He just looks incredible to me. He looks like he's enjoying it. He looks like he can win games on his own. He's just a phenomenal player,” Murphy said.

The critics who questioned his place in this squad, who floated the idea that he should sit out, have been left exposed.

“For those who did question whether he should be playing or even some articles suggesting he should stay at home, they should be holding their head in shame, those guys, and actually apologising publicly,” Murphy concluded.

Bellingham will not wait for that apology. He has another tournament to bend to his will – and the sense, already, that England’s ceiling will be set by how far he decides to push it.