Bellingham should be cherished not chastised.
Refs need respect and, yes, he has lessons to learn. He's only 21.
In 30+ years covering England, I’ve never seen a player with the limitless potential of Jude Bellingham. Gary Lineker came close with his supreme focus and grasp of the art and science of goalscoring. Paul Gascoigne had the skills and the fearlessness but not the discipline. Wayne Rooney had the technique, the winning mindset, but injuries and ill-discipline held him back in key moments.
There are others, and respectful nods here to the force of nature that was Steven Gerrard and the model of sustained excellence in Ashley Cole, but I’ve never seen an England player so blessed with so many strengths and so advanced towards the heights so early as Bellingham. He’s won the Champions League and La Liga with Real Madrid and reached the final of two European Championships with England. He finished third in the most recent Ballon d’Or. He scores huge goals in crunch moments. And he’s still only 21.
It's because he’s already shone in so many big games, shown such mature understanding of positioning, movement and tactics, and is such a towering physical figure, that people forget how young he is. And 21-year-olds are impetuous. They do challenge authority. It’s what being 21 is often about, a wider consideration when examining Bellingham’s latest joust with officialdom – his red card at the weekend for dissent. Referees need respect, however frustrating their decision-making may be, and everyone knows the impact such incidents have on grass roots, and Bellingham will doubtless learn his lesson. He is only 21.
The focus is always intense on a generational talent like Bellingham, especially at a club like Real, and with a country like England craving a leader to end the years of hurt. The focus will inevitably burn brightly on Bellingham as Real take on Manchester City at the Bernabeu this evening.
We’ve been down this road with young England midfield dynamos before. Gerrard had less of a problem with referees, but also had to get a grip of his discipline. He went on to become a formidable force for Liverpool and England but his early days were beset with problems, partly physical as his body grew (he was the same size as Michael Owen at 16 but “now he’s a midget compared to me” Gerrard reflected in 2001) but also in a hunger to win the ball that led to red cards.
I assisted Gerrard with his first autobiography and recall one long, honest conversation when he detailed how Gary McAllister helped him be more measured in his challenging. “Tackling a problem” we titled the chapter. Gerrard learned.
Maybe it was also the embarrassment of clattering Gary Naysmith in the Merseyside Derby in 2002, apologising, getting a three-game ban, taking a flight to Portugal and finding a spare seat when he boarded – next to Naysmith, who laughed.