From making his professional debut as a 16-year-old to becoming a £100million Real Madrid signing while still a teenager, Jude Bellingham has never appeared to be short of confidence.
The former Birmingham City midfielder was at his irresistible best during this summer’s World Cup, scoring seven goals as England went on to finish third following the semi-final defeat to Argentina.
But going into the tournament, it had not been plain sailing, with Thomas Tuchel leaving Bellingham out of his October 2025 England squad, amid criticism from certain sections of the tabloid media.
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Crouch on how Bellingham answered his critics
According to former Liverpool and England striker Peter Crouch, this criticism - and the white-hot pressure of being central to the Three Lions’ hopes of ending a six-decade wait for a trophy – brought out the best in Bellingham.
And this was underlined by his match-winning turn in the epic last-16 win over Mexico, when Bellingham got on the scoresheet twice.
“I was there – just being in the Azteca was magical for me, and if we’d lost 5-0 I would still have been amazed by the whole thing,” Crouch tells FourFourTwo.
“But for him to score those two goals when he burst into the box – that people were even questioning him before the tournament looks ridiculous now.”
Crouch netted 22 goals in 42 appearances for England and knows exactly what confidence and momentum can bring to a player.
“There’s no better feeling,” he adds. “There was a period for England when I just felt like I was going to score in every game. You feel kind of superhuman and I think Jude was feeling that. You feel like you can walk on water, that whatever you do will turn to gold. Whatever Jude did, it seemed to go that way.”
These performances further strengthened Crouch’s belief that Bellingham has that ability to raise his level just when his teammates need it most.
“Certain players raise their game in pressure environments,” he continues. “Some shrink but some just thrive off it. He thrives in the limelight, in that white hot atmosphere, that cauldron of pressure. You’re either one of those people or you’re not. He’s one of those people.
“I played with Steven Gerrard, who kind of won games on his own, like the FA Cup final against West Ham where he put the team on his back. He’d done the same in Istanbul, and against Olympiacos.
“England have had a reliance on Harry Kane, but Jude stepped up and helped him, and won games we probably should have lost.”
Peter Crouch was speaking in association with Paddy Power
