“Cristiano Ronaldo had the same thing” - Former Manchester United star compares Jude Bellingham to Portugal captain amid recent criticism
Former Manchester United defender Wes Brown has compared England superstar Jude Bellingham to Cristiano Ronaldo. Both Bellingham and Ronaldo are currently playing in the ongoing Euro, with the Al-Nassr superstar leading Portugal to the quarter-finals.
Bellingham, meanwhile, helped England reach the last eight with an impressive overhead kick against Slovenia in the Round of 16. The injury-time (90+5) equalizer made the match go into extra time, where Harry Kane scored (91) to help the Three Lions progress.
Bellingham celebrated his last-gasp equalizer by yelling "Who else?" at the crowd. This has seen him become a topic of discussion due to perceived arrogance, but Wes Brown does not see a problem here.
He compared Jude Bellingham with his former Manchester United teammate Cristiano Ronaldo in a conversation with the Euro Thrash podcast, revealing (via Mirror):
"I don't think it is arrogance, I just think it is confidence. Cristiano Ronaldo had the same thing. He would get a lot of stick early on and he would come in the next day and be like 'ok, I will prove them wrong'. He knew he was going to make mistakes but ultimately would focus on what he's doing regardless of a missed chance, missed tackle."
"He would say, 'This is football and I am just going to get better and better'. Jude shows that. He also shows his frustration at times because he knows he is capable of doing something like that. He's not been in every game, he's not been in every moment and for me, but without Jude's goal, we're out," Brown added.
Cristiano Ronaldo's Portugal will face France in the quarter-finals on Friday, July 5. Jude Bellingham, on the other hand, will hope to contribute once again when England take on Switzerland the following day.
Cristiano Ronaldo fails to find goals as Jude Bellingham doubles tally at EURO 2024
Cristiano Ronaldo is yet to score in 2024. If he does so against France, he will be the first player to score in six editions of the continental tournament. However, it will be a cause for concern that he has not found the net in four games.
Ronaldo notably had the chance to score against Slovenia from the penalty spot in extra time. However, his effort was saved by Jan Oblak.
Jude Bellingham, on the other hand, has now scored two important goals for England in the tournament. He scored in the 1-0 win over Serbia in the group stage before netting a banger against Slovakia in the Round of 16.