Dan Burn has a pretty simple way of describing what Jude Bellingham brings to the England locker room. It’s not about age or experience. It’s about the way the kid sets a tone that makes everyone else around him think, “I need to step this up.”
The Newcastle defender spoke this week about the importance of Harry Kane and Bellingham in the England squad, especially after both scored in the team’s 4-2 opening win over Croatia. Burn didn’t dance around it. He called them leaders, plain and simple.
Jude’s energy is contagious
“I think they’re both leaders of the group playing for top clubs in the peak of their careers,” Burn said. “I know Jude’s 12 or whatever, but he’s still there. So he’s still got a long way to go, but it feels like he’s a big player for us.”
Burn pointed out that having world-class talent is one thing. Keeping them healthy and scoring is another. And right now, England has both Kane and Bellingham firing at the same time.
“I really feel like Jude’s one of those players where you can really feel when he’s on it,” Burn added. “He sort of sets the tone sometimes. If he goes flying into a tackle with three minutes gone, it really gives you that energy. Like ‘wow, Jude’s on it today, I’ve got to raise my level a little bit.’ He’s got that about him. So to see him start the tournament well, I was really pleased for him.”
It’s a genuine thing when a teammate can singlehandedly shift the energy in a stadium. Bellingham does that. He doesn’t wait for the game to come to him. He goes and finds it.
That Wonderwall moment
After the Croatia win, the England players and traveling fans shared a moment that’s already become a highlight of the tournament. They all sang Oasis’s “Wonderwall” together. Burn called it special.
“Wonderwall was an amazing moment, a special moment,” Burn said. “If that’s every game it’s going to be amazing. It was such a special moment for me, all my family there. It’s set the stall out and hopefully we can kick on.”
That connection between the team and the fans isn’t something you can manufacture. It either happens or it doesn’t. For England right now, it’s happening. Whether that carries them deep into the tournament remains to be seen. But having Kane and Bellingham leading the charge, and a whole stadium singing along, it’s hard not to feel like something’s building.
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