England Scrape Through to Euro 2024 Quarter-Finals
In a dramatic turn of events, England have managed to secure their spot in the quarter-finals of the Euro 2024 tournament, thanks to a late goal from their young sensation Jude Bellingham.
Commenting on Bellingham’s heroic performance, England manager Gareth Southgate told BBC Radio 5 Live:
“With 15 minutes to go, you wonder if he is out on his feet, but him and Harry Kane produce those moments, and that is why you don’t make changes when people are clamouring for more changes. I’ve said for a long time he is doing unbelievably well. I think I understand his world better than a lot of people. His world is incredibly different. He’s had an incredible impact even though he is only a young man. He will say things and react to things like a young man will, but can create moments that change big games, and that’s what he has done here.”
Declan Rice, Bellingham’s teammate, also joined in the praise, saying:
“It was a big moment for a 21-year-old. It takes a lot of guts to do something like that. People don’t understand what you have to go through to get over the line.”
Former England defender Gary Neville, speaking on ITV, added:
“He is a special player, and that goal has saved England from an incalculable amount of criticism that they have never seen before, and he has saved his manager. England did not deserve the equaliser. They did not deserve to escape the embarrassment of the criticism that would have been heaped on them. Make no mistake, this was a shocking performance until Bellingham’s goal. And yet, when you have players like Bellingham who do the special things in the big moments, games are never over until they are over. This was the prime example of what the world-class can do.”
Bellingham himself acknowledged the significance of the moment, saying:
“It’s got to be up there with my best goals – 30 seconds and we’re out of Euro 2024. It’s hard to deny it’s one of the most important moments in my career, but it’s only very important if we go on to win the tournament, so we’ll see in a couple of weeks.”
Despite their unconvincing performance, England have managed to scrape through to the quarter-finals of Euro 2024. With a player like Bellingham in their squad, however, the team’s fortunes could still turn around, and they may yet surprise the football world.
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