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Former England striker Alan Shearer has blasted the calls to drop Jude Bellingham from the England XI in the quarter-finals of Euro 2024. The Real Madrid midfielder turned up as the hero for the Three Lions in the Round of 16 as Gareth Southgate's side secured a comeback 2-1 win against Slovakia.
England looked destined to crash out of Euro 2024 as they trailed Slovakia 1-0 until injury time, when Bellingham scored a stunning overhead kick to equalize. Harry Kane scored an extra-time winner to secure the Three Lions a place in the quarter-finals, where they will take on Switzerland.
Despite his wondergoal against Slovakia, Bellingham has come under criticism from a section of pundits. Liverpool icon Didi Hamann even claimed that Gareth Southgate should drop Bellingham against Switzerland and play Phil Foden as the No. 10. The former Germany international said, as quoted by Metro:
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"Unless Gareth Southgate changes the team in two or three positions, I see little hope. Southgate is letting things go but he has to make a decision. Between Phil Foden and Jude Bellingham only one can play and for me that would be Foden. For me you have to take Bellingham out, Foden in the middle and then Cole Palmer and Anthony Gordon on the flanks. And Southgate has to think about what he’s going to do with Harry Kane."
The Champions League winner with Liverpool in 2005 added:
"He was hyped after his first six months in Madrid. But he has only performed averagely for Real since Christmas. In the Champions League, he was barely seen in the quarter-finals, semi-finals and final. That’s why I’m not surprised by his performances at the European Championships. Bellingham is undoubtedly a good player, but he needs to confirm his performances from last year. Many are talking about the Ballon d’Or, but I don’t see him as a world footballer at the moment.’
Alan Shearer has responded to such claims and branded them as 'ridiculous'. The Newcastle United legend also insisted that Bellingham must be in the starting XI for England. Shearer said, as quoted by Metro:
"There is no way he should be dropped. How can you drop him? It’s ridiculous. Of course he shouldn’t be dropped, he’s got to be in the team."
Jude Bellingham has not been at his best for England in Euro 2024, although he has still been quite decisive. Before his stunner against Slovakia, he scored the only goal of the game against Serbia in the group stage to secure his side a crucial 1-0 win.
Pundit slams England star Jude Bellingham despite his Euro 2024 heroics vs Slovakia
Television presenter Richard Keys has slammed Jude Bellingham for his comments after England's 2-1 win against Slovakia in the Round of 16 of Euro 2024. Bellingham scored the all-important late equalizer for the Three Lions to take the game into extra-time.
Skipper Harry Kane scored the winner early in the extra-time to secure England a place in the quarter-finals. After scoring the equalizer, Bellingham celebrated with his arms raised and shouted "Who else?".
During the post-match press conference, Bellingham addressed the criticism towards him as he said, via The Sport Bible:
"People talk a lot. You do have to take it personally a little bit. We work so hard at this game. We come in every day, we work hard to put on a performance for the fans, sometimes it doesn't go well and sometimes it feels like there's a a bit of a pile on, it's not nice to hear. But you can always use it and for moments like that, it's nice to throw it back to some people."
Richard Keys was not pleased with Bellingham's comments and slammed the Real Madrid star. He said, via The Sport Bible:
"I wish he hadn't said that. We work really hard? What? An hour a day before you play football? Come on... I pride myself... I take myself seriously as the head of the celebration police. I did think that they overdid it yesterday. "I wish he hadn't said that. We work really hard? What? An hour a day before you play football? Come on... I pride myself... I take myself seriously as the head of the celebration police. I did think that they overdid it yesterday."
England will take on Switzerland in the quarter-finals of Euro 2024 on June 6 at the Merkur Spiel-Arena in Dusseldorf.
