EURO 2024: Wayne Rooney ‘worried’ about Jude Bellingham ahead of Slovakia match
England have only won one match in the European Championship so far
Former England striker Wayne Rooney expressed that he is worried about Jude Bellingham ahead of their round of 16 match against Slovakia in the European Championship (EURO) 2024 at the Veltins-Arena in Gelsenkirchen, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany.
Rooney questioned Bellingham’s body language in England’s last group match against Slovenia saying that the 21-year-old couldn’t hide his frustration.
"Watching England against Slovenia, I focused on Jude Bellingham and Harry Kane to try to understand how they are working together," Rooney wrote in a column for the Times. "What I saw left me worried.
"Jude's body language told you a lot. Three or four times in the first half he could not hide his frustration. He was trying to lead things by running past Harry to pressure the ball, the Slovenians would pass round him and he'd find nobody was backing up his run.
"For an attacking player that's one of the worst feelings you can have. He was turning round to look at others and throwing his arms up. Body language like that sends a message to the fans, to his team-mates, to the manager.”
Rooney then added that he knows why Bellingham is feeling that way before hoping that the midfielder’s frustration will not get him a red card which may make things worse for England.
"I've been there. I know exactly the position he's in. I found myself in that headspace many times in international football, and at certain points in my club career. I just hope the frustration doesn't boil over to the point where he gets a red card or does something stupid and gets himself injured,” Rooney added.
"Against Slovenia, it looked as if he was getting close. Throughout this tournament, it has looked as if he has been trying too hard, and when you try too hard, you make decisions you don't normally make."
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