It was unimaginable to know what Real Madrid’s Jude Bellingham mentioned when he approached Harry Kane because the Bayern Munich striker ready to take a penalty in Tuesday night’s Champions League semi-final first leg.
Whatever the exact phrases, it was most unlikely that Bellingham was wishing his worldwide team-mate the very best of luck, and referee Clement Turpin had to intervene to tell the midfielder to get out of the best way.
Not that Kane was unduly involved. In his preliminary post-match interview with TNT Sport, the sport’s UK broadcaster, the England captain mentioned he hadn’t heard what Bellingham mentioned. It wasn’t till after the ultimate whistle that Bellingham revealed all.
“I spoke to him after and he said: ‘I know you’re going to go left of the keeper’,” mentioned Kane. “But it was nice for me because I saw the keeper go a little bit early and I put it away.”
Nothing was going to distract Harry Kane from getting his aim 😤 pic.twitter.com/mR05vjxCPH
— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) April 30, 2024
It was hardly incendiary stuff, and there may be unlikely to be any lasting rancour between two gamers who had greeted one another warmly earlier than kick-off. Yet the distinction between the picture of Bellingham whispering in Kane’s ear in an effort to acquire a bonus for his membership and the image of him placing his arm across the identical participant moments after he had missed a vital late penalty in opposition to France in England’s 2022 World Cup quarter-finals defeat couldn’t have been better.
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They additionally communicate to two sides of Bellingham’s persona, each of which have been evident in what’s his debut season in Spain. There have by no means been any doubts concerning energy of character – his penchant for late objectives, together with in each La Liga Clasicos in opposition to Barcelona, is testomony to that.
While clearly having fun with the eye coming his approach from his new membership’s followers, Bellingham has additionally been praised for sharing the limelight: take, for instance, his instruction for followers to applaud Fede Valverde for setting him up to rating in opposition to Osasuna in October.
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He additionally supplied a really unselfish help for striker Joselu the next month, subsequently explaining that he wished to assist out a team-mate who had been going by way of a tough spell in entrance of aim.
This appeared like distinctive emotional intelligence and private maturity, and helped make Bellingham phenomenally common with Madrid gamers and supporters alike.
His gesture to Kane following that World Cup quarter-final penalty was important, too. Bellingham – then aged simply 19 – was the one member of the England facet to console their captain after he failed to equalise within the 84th minute of what ended as a 2-1 loss, and it spoke to a maturity past his years.
Jude Bellingham consoles Harry Kane (Richard Heathcote/Getty Images)
The flipside to all this, nevertheless, is that Bellingham may also come shut to the road – and even cross it – when issues are usually not going so nicely both for him personally or for his staff.
That was already signalled throughout his time at earlier membership Borussia Dortmund, when Bellingham was identified to really feel that some team-mates didn’t attain his personal excessive requirements — particularly after they threw away an amazing likelihood to win the German title in May final yr.
Bellingham’s persistence with Spanish referees additionally wore skinny fairly rapidly. He felt he was not receiving sufficient safety as defenders used any strategies they might to restrict his affect on video games.
He picked up 4 yellow playing cards in six video games by way of January and February, principally for both dissent or ‘revenge’ fouls, serving a punishment for accumulation of bookings. Then got here his most high-profile run-in with officialdom, when he was red-carded for livid protests after referee Jesus Gil Manzano whistled for full time simply as he thought he had scored one other late winner in a La Liga sport in opposition to Valencia in early March.
Bellingham was nonetheless raging as he left the pitch that evening, rapidly reposting an Instagram message which mentioned: “The referee literally waited for Brahim Diaz to cross the ball! THIS IS A SCANDAL.” He rapidly eliminated that message from his account, however he was nonetheless banned for 3 matches.
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There was additionally the incident when Madrid performed neighbours Getafe in early February, and Bellingham clashed with fellow Englishman Mason Greenwood, throughout a bad-tempered sport in opposition to a bodily staff.
Getafe claimed that Bellingham had made an “offensive remark” to Greenwood, who joined the La Liga membership on a season-long mortgage from Manchester United on the finish of final summer season’s switch window. Greenwood had seen fees of tried rape, assault, and coercive management dropped by the UK’s Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) in February 2023. He denied all of the alleged offences.
After a lip reader was consulted, the Spanish FA (RFEF) mentioned no credible proof of what Bellingham allegedly mentioned to Greenwood had been discovered, and the case was dismissed.
Bellingham obtained whole backing from Madrid head coach Carlo Ancelotti and the membership hierarchy after each the Greenwood and Mestalla incidents, and everybody on the Bernabeu has been eager to take care of their newest rising famous person.
Fans of the membership will even not be nervous about any indicators of being a nasty loser, and even his style for gamesmanship. Both match completely with Madrid’s self-image as a spot the place profitable is crucial factor (even because it goes in opposition to the ‘gentlemanly’ values that additionally they boast of).
Jude Bellingham doesn’t lack confidence (Juan Manuel Serrano Arce/Getty Images)
Bellingham’s profession has been on warp velocity up to now – from turning into Birmingham City’s youngest first-team participant simply previous his 16th birthday, to shifting to Germany as the costliest 17-year-old in historical past, enjoying for England at two worldwide tournaments whereas nonetheless a teen, and now making such a sensational begin with Madrid.
All this brings consideration and strain. Bellingham has principally proven he can deal with it, and channel no matter he’s feeling into spectacular performances and moments for his staff. Still, for all his many abilities, he’s not Superman, and there have been indicators recently that he’s feeling the strains of his unimaginable first season in Spain.
He struggled to make an influence in the course of the two Champions League quarter-final legs just lately in opposition to Manchester City. And whereas he adopted that with the last-gasp El Clasico winner 10 days in the past, he was quiet once more final evening in his first sport in Germany since leaving Dortmund.
“Jude didn’t play at his best today, but he will be back very soon,” mentioned Ancelotti, who additionally revealed Bellingham had been withdrawn as a result of he was affected by cramp. “He will be 100 per cent by Wednesday (the second leg at the Bernabeu next week).”
Could Bellingham’s character lead to behaviour that may be higher managed? Maybe. And s***housing your nationwide captain in a Champions League semi-final might be not the wisest concept.
But if Bellingham’s profession has taught us something, it’s that he’ll do issues his approach.
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(Top images: TNT Sports and Getty Images)