Jude Bellingham makes worrying fitness admission ahead of England vs Slovakia
Bellingham struggled against Slovenia this week (Picture: Emin Sansar/Anadolu via Getty Images)
Jude Bellingham has revealed he felt ‘absolutely dead’ during England’s final Euro 2024 group match against Slovenia amid concerns over fatigue in the Three Lions squad.
Gareth Southgate’s side qualified for the knockout stages of the competition as group winners but have so far failed to impress out in Germany.
Passive performance lacking any real intensity have alarmed supporters with England stars coming off draining campaigns with their respective clubs.
Bellingham won La Liga and the Champions League in his first season at Real Madrid with Tuesday’s match against Slovenia his 50th match of a gruelling campaign.
The 20-year-old shone in England’s opening match against Serbia, opening the scoring with a wonderful header in the first-half but his subsequent performances against Denmark and Slovenia have sparked concerns.
England were booed off the pitch following Tuesday’s goalless draw but Bellingham spoke positively of the positive impact those in attendance had on him and the rest of the team – helping him push on when his energy levels drained.
‘I think you definitely draw on them for energy towards the end of games,’ he said.
Fans booed England off the pitch (Picture: Stefan Matzke – sampics/Corbis via Getty Images)
‘I felt like in the last game, I was absolutely dead but you hear them singing, hear them chanting and you can play at a level that’s not our best, it’s normal, it can happen.
‘But I think the important thing is, when you’re wearing this badge and you’re representing those fans, is that you don’t give up and I think that they’re a constant reminder of that.
WHEN IS ENGLAND'S NEXT GAME?
England play Slovakia in the Euro 2024 last-16 stage at 5pm on Sunday.
‘I think it’s always interesting. I know there’s a lot of negativity outside the stadium and the camp but I always feel that when we get into the stadium, it’s so different.
‘I think it’s important that as teammates and as a team, we remember that the ones in the stadium are the ones that are going to give us the energy so don’t worry about the ones that aren’t there.
EURO 2024 LAST-16 FIXTURES
June 29
Switzerland vs Italy (Berlin, 5pm)
Germany vs Denmark (Dortmund, 8pm)
June 30
England vs Slovakia (Gelsenkirchen, 5pm)
Spain vs Georgia (Cologne, 8pm)
July 1
France vs Belgium (Dusseldorf, 5pm)
Portugal vs Slovenia (Frankfurt, 8pm)
July 2
Romania vs Netherlands (Munich, 5pm)
Austria vs Turkey (Leipzig, 8pm)
‘We’ve obviously got to keep using that energy, using that feeling that we get from them, to be successful in this tournament.’
England return to action on Sunday evening when they take on Slovakia in their last 16 match.