Jude Bellingham has revealed how his mother helped him avoid picking up a yellow card against Norway which would have seen the England star banned for Wednesday night’s World Cup semi-final.
The 23-year-old was the Three Lions’ saviour once again in the 2-1 victory over the Vikings, bagging his fifth and sixth goals of this summer’s tournament.
The result – and later Argentina’s 3-1 scalp of Switzerland – means that Thomas Tuchel’s men will now face Lionel Messi, Julian Alvarez and Co in Atlanta for a place in the final.
However, had things turned out differently, England could have been heading into their biggest game in years without the country’s star man.
Bellingham was just a booking away from picking up a one-match suspension against Norway after his first-half yellow card in the clash with DR Congo two weeks ago.
But, thankfully, the Galactico kept his cool in Miami to escape without picking up a caution and, speaking after the match, he revealed that his mum had a part to play in him doing so.
Jude Bellingham has revealed that his mother had a part to play in keeping the England star disciplined in the clash with Norway
Bellingham scored twice as the Three Lions beat Norway 2-1 to book a place in the World Cup semi-finals
He told reporters: ‘My mum’s been telling me all week to watch my language, watch my tackles, watch my face, watch with my emotions.
‘I think she drilled it into me all week about being careful of that yellow card. To be honest, when you play the right way – and credit to the referee, he was class – and I get the balance right and there’s a referee who’s willing to listen, it makes it a lot easier.
‘In the end, it was just a really well competed game of football and luckily I got through it.’
As Bellingham points out, England were forced to work hard for their victory against a Norwegian side boasting Erling Haaland and Martin Odegaard.
The Vikings drew first blood in Miami on 36 minutes when Andreas Schjelderup appeared to mishit a cross from the left-wing up and over Jordan Pickford into the top corner.
A resurgent England, however, hit back just minutes later when Bellingham latched on to an Anthony Gordon pass inside, drove past two defenders and fired an effort with his laces into the back of the net.
Later, after a cagey second-half in sweltering heats, it was the Real Madrid star who won it in extra-time when he followed in a Morgan Rogers effort from distance and capitalised on a spill from Orjan Nyland.
England boss Tuchel, however, branded his players ‘lucky’ in an eye-opening interview with ITV minutes after the final whistle, sparking a perplexed reaction from Bellingham when it was his turn to speak to the media.
The midfielder suggested Tuchel, who retired as a footballer at just 25 due to injury and ended up working as a bartender before his coaching career, may ‘not know what it’s like’ to compete in top-level matches.
The 23-year-old claimed after the match that Thomas Tuchel’s ‘doesn’t know what it’s like’ to play in top-level matches
‘What do you think about the statement from your boss?’ Bellingham was asked, initially replying: ‘No comment.’
But when pressed, he then added: ‘Maybe he doesn’t know what it’s like to play in those kind of conditions against Erling Haaland, (Martin) Odegaard, (Antonio) Nusa, (Alexander) Sorloth. That’s not an easy team to play against.
‘I think we’ve tried to create a positive environment and we should continue that going into the final four. I couldn’t speak highly enough of the lads. You’re not going to win every game popping the ball and making a thousand passes, sometimes you have to win dirty and we did that again tonight.’
England were playing in intense heat in Florida, with ‘real feel’ temperatures pitchside over 40C.
In the separate pitchside interview Bellingham had been dismissive of Tuchel’s comments, saying: ‘Yeah, well, whatever.
‘It’s tough out there, it’s difficult. All the players are putting in a very tough shift. So all my thoughts and appreciation goes to the players who were out there who put in a great shift.’
Yet Tuchel laughed off claims of a rift last night, saying: ‘There is no disconnect from me to my team, no, not one per cent. I’m full with my heart and I’m fully in love all of my players and my team and the way they perform.’
England will head into the Argentina clash with few injury concerns other than Jordan Henderson, who made the bench in Miami despite suffering a broken arm just days earlier. Declan Rice, meanwhile, was subbed at half-time against Norway after suffering with illness in the build up to the game.
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