"He attacks but never fails to defend as well" - Erik ten Hag heaps praise on 'fantastic' England star for his performance in Euro 2024 clash
Manchester United boss Erik ten Hag lauded Jude Bellingham after the midfielder scored the lone goal for England in their Euro 2024 opening game against Serbia. The clash ended in a 1-0 victory for Gareth Southgate's squad on Sunday (June 16) at Veltins-Arena in Gelsenkirchen, Germany.
Bellingham netted an excellent header just 13 minutes into the match. The Dutch manager hailed the 20-year-old as "fantastic" and said (via @TheEuropeanLad on X):
"Jude Bellingham is fantastic. He is the drive of England. He attacks but never fails to defend as well."
Jude Bellingham, who made his senior debut for the Three Lions in 2020, has so far netted four goals and provided five assists in 30 appearances across competitions for his nation.
The English midfielder pulled off some great performances in the 2023-24 season. In his first season with Spanish giants Real Madrid, Bellingham scored 23 goals and provided 13 assists in 42 games. He won the La Liga, Supercopa de España, and UEFA Champions League with Los Blancos. He was also awarded the 2024 Laureus World Breakthrough of the Year in April.
England will play against Denmark next in Euro 2024 on Thursday, June 20, at Deutsche Bank Park in Frankfurt, Germany.
Jude Bellingham on England's 1-0 win against Serbia at Euro 2024
Jude Bellingham shared his thoughts about the Three Lions' performance against Serbia at Euro 2024. After contributing to his nation's first win in this year's tournament, the Real Madrid midfielder told BBC Sport:
“Good game. I thought they are a very tough side. Very robust, strong and a big group of lads and it was important that we prepared well. The staff got it right. We prepared all week very well. We knew the roles we had to do. We try to keep to our own standards and try to do our own job. It’s important that we got off to a good start. Positive inside the camp and onto the next one."
Bellingham added:
"I have got used to getting into the box, getting wide and trying to do that. I got into that habit at Madrid and I wanted to carry my form into the Euros. It’s a great start for me personally to get my confidence up and to help the lads get the win is the most important thing."
With this Euro 2024 clash, Jude Bellingham became the first European player to make an appearance at three major international tournaments before turning 21 (aged 20 years, 353 days).