Expanded European events and next summer's extended Club World Cup have led to growing concerns about players' workloads
sports4 days ago
Jude Bellingham said being serenaded by England fans with The Beatles' "Hey Jude!" was music to his ears after the midfielder's early header gave his side a 1-0 win over Serbia in their Euro 2024 Group C opener on Sunday.
The 20-year-old was named Player of the Match after setting the tempo for much of England's attacking play and was cheered to the rafters by their fans at the cavernous Arena AufSchalke.
"I listen to the Beatles a lot. My style of music is a bit old, so that that's right on my street," Bellingham told a press conference.
"I really enjoy playing in front of the England fans. It's a different experience for me because obviously I play abroad. So when I can hear an English crowd for the first time every few months, I really enjoy it.
"They give me a lot of appreciation, a lot of love. And I try to give that back with my performances and my energy on the pitch."
Bellingham enjoyed a remarkable debut campaign with Real Madrid in which he was voted LaLiga's Player of the Season, scoring 19 goals to help them win the title by 10 points, and helping them claim a 15th Champions League crown.
On Sunday he caused no end of problems for Serbia's defenders, who resorted to a more physical approach to try to shackle him.
"I felt really confident coming into the game. I couldn't wait to play such an amazing tournament alongside such amazing group of players. So I think you could see that I was enjoying my football and wanted to make an impact," Bellingham said.
"We wanted to get the ball away from them because I think we wanted to build an energy for the fans to get behind the team. And when you're aggressive, it helps in that, trying to be aggressive without the ball as well.
"Yeah, I took a few kicks, but I think it's something I've kind of gotten used to over the last couple of years. And it's about trying to react to the right way and not lose my head. I think I handled that well tonight."
Gareth Southgate's men can take some comfort from opening their campaign with a victory and a clean sheet, especially with Denmark and Slovenia drawing 1-1 earlier on Sunday, as they sit atop Group C ahead of Thursday's game against the Danes.
ALSO READ:
Expanded European events and next summer's extended Club World Cup have led to growing concerns about players' workloads
sports4 days ago
Taking a closer look at the contenders who are solidly in the mix and those who are still vying for position at the business end
sports4 days ago
As the 16-time PGA Tour winner bids farewell to the game after four decades, we celebrate one of the lasting memories he has gifted us
sports4 days ago
The DP World Tour gears up for an exciting event with the $3.25 million acciona Open de España, marking the 37th of 44 tournaments in the season
sports4 days ago
His handling of logistical challenges underscores his commitment to staying prepared for the next phase of his career as he travels to the U.S. for PGA Tour Q’School
sports4 days ago
India delivered a remarkable performance at the Fide Chess Olympiad in Budapest, securing gold medals in both men's and women's events
sports5 days ago
Markram's unbeaten 69 and 26 not out from Stubbs saw them reach 170 for three wickets off 33 overs in reply to Afghanistan's total of 169
sports5 days ago
The Emirati has become the most successful driver by winning his fifth UIM F2 World Championship title
sports5 days ago