Why Jude Bellingham is streets ahead of a young Wayne Rooney, writes OLIVER HOLT

Enough of the hand-wringing. After a 1-0 defeat to a Brazilian team that had two-thirds of the best attacking front line in world club football, many seem to have convinced themselves that England have been saddled with a terrible manager, a terrible defence, half a midfield and an attack who cannot function without Harry Kane.

There is an answer to all of this and, with apologies for its simplicity, the answer is two words: Jude Bellingham.

Bellingham won’t win the European Championship on his own, but England have a much better chance of doing so with him forming the core of the team. He did not play an excellent match against Brazil, but that was partly because Brazil kicked him out.

That’s right: Brazil actually thought there was an English player so valuable and so potentially destructive to their own hopes of success, that they put a target on his back and spent much of the evening starting him in the sky.

That felt like a reversal of the natural order. History reminds us that Pele was forcibly removed from the 1966 World Cup in this country by the repeated brutality of opponents, leaving him unable to produce the magic that lit up football for a generation with the Brazilian team winning the tournament won in 1958 and 1962. 1970. But this time it was an Englishman who was the target.

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There was a period in the first half where Lucas Paqueta seemed to foul Bellingham every time he got the ball. Then Brazil shared pollution duties, as smart, cynical teams don’t do.

Not surprisingly, it limited Bellingham’s effectiveness. But it didn’t dim his light. Bellingham is only 20 years old, but he is already running this England team like a colossus. He glides and accelerates and races through games like he has different equipment than everyone else.

Let’s say it again: he’s only 20, but he’s already a Rolls Royce of a midfielder. The phrase “generational talent” is overused.

I’ve heard it applied to Kai Havertz, a fine player but who doesn’t fit that description. Bellingham fits in. Even on Saturday, even under the restrictions he had to operate in, there were moments when he set the spectator’s pulse racing.

Let’s not forget that this is a young man who leads the LaLiga scoring charts with the sixteen goals he has scored in midfield.

This is a young man who has scored more goals than Robert Lewandowski, Alvaro Morata and Vinicius Jnr in his first season at Real Madrid so far this season.

This is a young man who has dominated the LaLiga story this season and whose class has dominated Spanish football.

In his first Clásico, at the Montjuic Stadium earlier this season, he scored both of Madrid’s goals against Barcelona, ​​including a last-gasp winner. This is a player who can rise to the big occasion.

And we should not downplay the fact that, injury permitting, he will be lining up with fingers crossed against Serbia when England play the first match of Euro 2024 in Gelsenkirchen on June 16.

Gelsenkirchen was where one of England’s last great players, Wayne Rooney, was sent off in a quarter-final against Portugal during the 2006 World Cup, and Bellingham’s recent red card for Madrid, combined with England’s talent for catastrophizing , has led to all kinds of problems. worrying about Bellingham being provoked into doing something unwise in Germany.

Famous last words, but Bellingham seems too smart to be sucked into such a trap. He may be a precocious talent, but part of that means he has an old head on young shoulders.

He knows – and Southgate knows – that the opposition will try to upset him at the European Championship. He’ll be ready for that.

I’m just looking forward to seeing him play. I look forward to enjoying the fact that England will have one of the best talents at the tournament and he will be determined to conquer the podium. I’m looking forward to seeing him claim the ball like he did against Brazil.

I look forward to the thrill of anticipation every time he gets it. It is always a thrill to be in the presence of greatness. Forget worrying about where he plays and how England can best use him.

Bellingham is so good that he gives Southgate options. The manager could play him as a 10 against Bellingham and he would be the best 10 we have, or he could play him alongside Declan Rice and he would be the best box-to-box midfielder we have.

We just need to wrap his metatarsals in cotton wool and wrap them in bubble wrap.

Liverpool fulfilling Sven’s dying wish will live long in the memory

The sport sometimes gives us wonderful stories and while it was touching to see Sven-Goran Eriksson fulfill his dying wish to manage Liverpool Football Club this weekend, there was something wonderfully uplifting about seeing the former England boss manage a Liverpool team . ahead of the charity match against an Ajax XI on Saturday and alongside Steven Gerrard on the Anfield pitch. Congratulations to Liverpool and all involved for arranging something that will live long in the memories of all who saw it.

Ultrarunner Paris’s seismic performance is awe-inspiring

As someone who thinks a physical ordeal begins about halfway through a 5km parkrun on a Saturday morning, I was filled with a mixture of awe and fear at the achievement of Jasmin Paris, the Scottish ultrarunner, who became the first woman to cross the finish line. the infamous Barkley Marathons in Tennessee, USA, since it was expanded to 100 miles in 1989.

The annual race at Frozen Head State Park includes five loops of approximately 20 miles, with 60,000 feet of climbs and descents. Paris crossed the finish line on Friday with 99 seconds to go before the 60-hour limit.

Walker’s injury shows how important he is for England

There was a lot of talk after the match on Saturday evening about how often England miss Harry Kane when he is away due to injury.

It was also instructive how much they missed Kyle Walker when he left with a hamstring problem midway through the first half.

Walker’s pace, as well as his experience and overall excellence, have become incredibly important to Southgate’s side.

It gets England out of trouble time and time again and intimidates even the fastest attackers. Without that pace, England’s defense looked vulnerable against Brazil.

All eyes on Toney against Belgium

I am a great admirer of Ollie Watkins. It’s hard not to be. But my instinct is that if Ivan Toney performs well against Belgium at Wembley on Tuesday night, he will probably get the nod to go to Germany this summer as a substitute for Harry Kane.

I’m still not sure we realize how good Toney is. He is the closest to Kane in terms of his ability to hold the ball up, his vision, his ability to create for others and his finishing.

And then there’s the fact that he rarely misses from the penalty spot. He also has no shortage of confidence. Playing in a major tournament will probably motivate rather than inhibit him. He may have had a rather checkered recent past, but if Gareth Southgate chooses him in the European Championship squad, he will have deserved it with his talent.

It’s a privilege to see Murray play while he still can

It was a pleasure to see Andy Murray play so well in Miami last week. It felt like a wonderful symbol of his continued stubborn brilliance that he had to face a top-30 player in the form of Tomas Etcheverry, who defeated him in straight sets at the Australian Open a few months ago, and that defeat avenged with a stunning victory. . Murray still has greatness in him. It’s a privilege to watch it while we can.