"I'm sure he'll wear the armband one day" - Glen Johnson backs England star to become future captain after FIFA World Cup performance
Former England defender Glen Johnson has backed Borussia Dortmund star Jude Bellingham to become the future captain of the national team following his heroics at the World Cup this year.
The 19-year-old impressed with his brilliant efforts for the Three Lions in Qatar, so Johnson believes he has what it takes to wear the armband in the future. Although England's 2022 FIFA World Cup campaign ended on a sore note, as they crashed out in the quarterfinals following a 2-1 defeat to France, Bellingham proved his worth.
The Borussia Dortmund midfielder featured in all five games for the Three Lions, contributing a goal and an assist to go with a series of eye-catching displays.
Jude Bellingham 🏴 | @England https://t.co/I5F0bRX3Hv
Despite being just 19, the Englishman played with a lot of maturity and composure while also demonstrating his leadership qualities. Asked whether the midfielder could become England's future captain, Johnson nodded in agreement but warned against mounting pressure on him.
"Yes, but we can't expect too much as we're setting the boy up to fail," the former Three Lions right-back said during an interview with GGRECON. "Everybody thinks the world of him, so when it does happen, everybody will be like 'yes, we knew this was going to happen,' rather than letting him just go on that path naturally.
He continued:
"You don't want to heap that pressure on him because he's a young boy, but if he continues to progress like the way he has been already, then I'm sure he'll wear the armband one day," he added.
Apart from the way he bossed the midfield and handled responsibilities on the pitch, Bellingham's leadership traits could also be seen in the way he communicated with his teammates.
Jude Bellingham showed captain potential after Harry Kane penalty miss for #ENG
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The Borussia Dortmund star was seen comforting Harry Kane after the latter missed a penalty in the defeat to France in the quarterfinals. It appears to be only a matter of time before the 19-year-old becomes the captain of the national team.
What was England's undoing at 2022 FIFA World Cup?
It goes without saying that England were one of the top teams at the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar. However, they couldn't go beyond the quarterfinals, and that has a lot to do with their failure to take their chances.
For instance, Gareth Southgate's men were the dominant side during their quarterfinal clash with France, enjoying 58% of possession and leading in most stats. They had a whopping 16 shots on target but could only score once, with Kane even missing a golden chance from the spot.
A similar case was seen in their goalless draw with the United States in the group stage. Gareth Southgate's men enjoyed 56% of ball possession in the game and recorded eight shots but failed to find the back of the net.