Jordan Henderson has moved to defend Jude Bellingham, stressing that the midfielder is valued inside the England squad and should start England’s World Cup opener against Croatia on Wednesday, despite outside criticism and questions over whether Thomas Tuchel truly trusts Bellingham in the central attacking role.
Bellingham travels to the World Cup following reports that Tuchel might favour other options in the number 10 position. During qualifying, Bellingham sometimes missed out, with Morgan Rogers used instead, although injuries also affected Bellingham’s availability and limited the chance to build rhythm in that advanced midfield role.
Henderson highlighted Bellingham’s journey with England, recalling how early potential became sustained
influence. "I can remember six years ago, I gave him his first cap and how much he has grown as a player and person since then is incredible really," said Henderson. "I had a good idea when I first saw him playing and training and the way he was.
"What he has done so far at such a young age, I think everybody forgets how young he is, even me sometimes. I honestly couldn't speak highly enough of him. I know a lot gets written in the media, I find it hard to read sometimes really because I just know just how big an influence he is on this team, how good a team-mate he is off the field. "
Henderson underlined Bellingham’s importance during major matches and tournaments. "What he gives us is just something really special. He really gives us an X-factor in our team. He has had big moments in his career, he is a big game player. He has got experience in tournaments. He is a huge, huge player for us in this tournament. "
Henderson also spoke about how Bellingham is viewed within the squad, and how Bellingham supports younger players. "If you ask any player in this group they will tell you how much of a good team-mate he is, how well he trains. I know he is young but he also helps young players, new players that come in.
"How he was in the pre-camp with Rio [Ngumoha], Josh King, Alex Scott, Ethan [Nwaneri]how he is with the players, nobody sees that. They all look up to him and he gave Rio [Ngumoha] his first cap which gives you a little insight to what he is like behind the scenes. "
Back out on Kansas City soil Shot on Google Pixel pic.twitter.com/dUXPrZ6VUPEngland (@England) June 14, 2026
Henderson challenged the negative stories around Bellingham, emphasising that the group trusts the midfielder. "I do think that a lot of the media and the stuff that gets written isn't all true to be honest, a lot of it is actually untrue. For us, we know what he can do and we all love him inside the camp and I suppose that's the main thing. "
Since debuting for England in November 2020, Bellingham has become one of the squad’s most used players, with only four team-mates featuring more often in that period across all competitions for the national side.
| Player | England appearances since November 2020 |
|---|---|
| Harry Kane | 65 |
| Declan Rice | 62 |
| Jordan Pickford | 56 |
| John Stones | 50 |
| Jude Bellingham | 48 |
Bellingham has scored six international goals, including two vital strikes at Euro 2024 as England reached the final before losing to Spain. Those contributions, plus tournament experience at a young age, explain why Henderson and the squad view Bellingham as central to England’s World Cup hopes against Croatia and beyond.
