Jude Bellingham has established himself as one of the most exciting midfielders in the world, but his behaviour has come under scrutiny at times with his England performances this summerSteve Wollaston Head of Sport – Midlands and Simon Peach PA Chief Football Writer
20:04, 11 Jun 2025Updated 20:06, 11 Jun 2025
(Image: PA Wire/PA Images)
Thomas Tuchel has praised Jude Bellingham’s “fire” but shared that England’s head coach finds his mother often repulsed by the midfielder’s on-pitch behaviour.
The 21 year old talent’s fiery edge is seen as a key component in his meteoric rise from Birmingham City to Real Madrid, with a stop at Borussia Dortmund along the way, though it has also sparked debates over his temperament.
Bellingham was visibly frustrated with officials last Tuesday when his goal against Senegal was disallowed following a contentious VAR review for handball by Levi Colwill.
After the disheartening 3-1 defeat, Bellingham’s irritation was palpable as he kicked a water cooler, an action that preceded some candid comments from Tuchel in a talkSPORT interview.
Tuchel, when asked about some fans’ opinions that England might fare better without Bellingham, expressed his bafflement: “I struggle to see that.”
He emphasised the need to harness the best of Bellingham and foster broader understanding of his contribution, acknowledging: “I think it has to be the other way around – how we can have the best version of him and the best acceptance, that people understand what he is bringing to us and that he is bringing a certain edge.”
But Tuchel recognised the mixed responses this could provoke, sharing personal insights: “But I see that it can create mixed emotions. I see this with my parents, with my mum, that she sometimes cannot see the nice and well-educated and well-behaved guy that I see.”
Highlighting the duality of Bellingham’s demeanour, Tuchel said: “If he smiles, he wins everyone. But sometimes you see the rage, you see the hunger and the rage and the fire, and it comes out in a way that can be a bit repulsive, for example, for my mother, when she sits in front of the TV.”
Despite these challenges, Tuchel affirmed his appreciation for the young player: “I see that but in general we are very happy to have him. He is a special boy.”
Tuchel has expressed his admiration for Bellingham, stating that “he brings an edge, which we welcome and which is needed if we want to achieve big things”. The England boss has also dismissed concerns about the midfielder being difficult to manage, describing him as “a nice kid and very open, very intelligent” and noting that it has been “very easy so far”.
However, Tuchel acknowledges that Bellingham’s intensity needs to be channelled in the right direction, saying: “The edge needs to be channelled toward the opponent, towards our goal and not to intimidate team-mates, or to be over aggressive to team-mates or referees,” He added: “He has the fire. I don’t want to dim this down. He should play with this kind of fire. That’s his strength.”
Tuchel also noted that Bellingham’s passion can sometimes boil over into anger, but believes that with guidance, he can learn to harness this energy in a positive way, stating: “You see sometimes the explosion towards referees and the anger in his game, so if he can channel this in the right way and we can help him in this, then for sure he has the something that we need. And he has a certain edge that is hard to find.”