Jude Bellingham poses Thomas Tuchel dilemma as Harry Kane forced into new England role

Jude Bellingham was the stand-out performer successful England's awesome triumph successful Athens - and the 21-year-old is already showing the signs helium should win Harry Kane arsenic captain

There were 3 captains of England wrong the Olympic Stadium successful Athens.

The authoritative captain, Harry Kane, the captain-for-the-night, Kyle Walker, and the captain-in-waiting, Jude Bellingham.

And erstwhile Thomas Tuchel has finished his lengthy pre-gig vacation and turns his caput to the England shot matters that volition bring him £7.5million for 18 months work, helium mightiness wonderment however agelong Bellingham should beryllium kept waiting.

Because portion the non-selection of Kane mightiness person simply been the whim of a feline enjoying the past throes of an improbable managerial cameo, it was a reminder that no-one is undroppable. Or, indeed, is irreplaceable arsenic skipper.

There is nary bully crushed to judge Tuchel – instrumental successful Kane being astatine Bayern Munich – would see making a captaincy change. And determination is nary bully crushed to importune helium should.

But antithetic managers similar antithetic qualities and attributes successful their person connected the field, and immoderate similar to springiness the armband to proven winners.

Not winners successful the discourse of being palmy successful a batch of matches but winners successful the consciousness of knowing what it is similar to beryllium cardinal figures successful teams winning large honours. And Bellingham, astatine the property of 21, is 1 of those figures – with his club, that is.

That Bellingham is simply a aboriginal England skipper is simply a fixed and the lone statement should beryllium astir erstwhile helium is fixed the honour. The statement against it happening immoderate clip soon would beryllium reasonably compelling.

He is inactive a cantankerous, edgy young footballer, liable to the benignant of disciplinary lapse that saw him get an aboriginal yellowish paper for dissent successful the Olympic Stadium. He is specified a endowment that giving him a distraction mightiness not beryllium productive. And would helium relish each the off-the-field duties that spell with the role?

But helium is simply a person by example. And that is simply a captain’s astir indispensable quality. In a strategy that suited him, Bellingham ran the England show, his walk for Noni Madueke the ingenious prelude to Ollie Watkins’ opener.

His ingenuity was matched by his industry, 1 surging tally towards the extremity of the archetypal fractional emblematic of his work. And portion helium tin get progressive successful unnecessary carnal tussles, determination is nary different subordinate successful this England squad who draws fouls arsenic often arsenic Bellingham does.

The Real Madrid prima besides has an oculus for extremity that astir produced a dividend erstwhile his clever header came backmost disconnected the station aboriginal successful the 2nd half.

This was besides an juncture sprinkled with hints of Bellingham’s captaincy imaginable – the words of encouragement for Madueke erstwhile the Chelsea antheral made a uncommon mistake successful the 2nd half, the congratulatory pat for Anthony Gordon aft different threatening foray.

To some, it mightiness jar, but Bellingham speaks to different players successful the mode of a elder pro. He acts similar a elder pro. He chastises, helium cajoles.

And successful periods of this game, helium gave reminders – arsenic if they were needed – of what a sensational subordinate helium is, a fabulous tally and onslaught producing the ain extremity disconnected the Greece keeper for England’s second.

This effect has plentifulness of applicable Nations League ramifications but it was besides a lucifer that should springiness Tuchel plentifulness of things to see arsenic helium prepares to instrumentality connected his World Cup challenge.

And 1 of them is which subordinate should pb that challenge. Bellingham surely made his lawsuit here.

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