Wayne Rooney: Jude Bellingham looks frustrated – he should be fronting up for England

Jude Bellingham has cut a frustrated figure - Alex Grimm/Getty Images

Wayne Rooney has questioned Jude Bellingham’s silence over England’s faltering European Championship campaign, claiming he should be “fronting” the players’ response.

Rooney also warned of the prospect of Bellingham picking up “a silly red card” at the tournament, declaring the Real Madrid star “looked very frustrated” in his last two matches against Denmark and Slovenia.

England manager Gareth Southgate revealed before Euro 2024 that Bellingham had been named alongside Harry Kane, Declan Rice and Kyle Walker as the squad’s new-look leadership group.

The latter trio have spoken publicly more than once in Germany, including facing tough questioning over the side’s dismal displays.

But Bellingham has only done so during his mandatory man-of-the-match duties, after scoring the only goal in their opening victory over Serbia, and a cosy appearance on Thursday on the team’s in-house Lions’ Den show.

Rooney, who endured his own frustrations with England, principally being sent off at 2006 World Cup and lashing out at supporters at the 2010 tournament, told the Football Daily podcast: “Jude starts the first game well but I’m sure he’d tell you himself he hasn’t [had] the best games in the last two.

Wayne Rooney, who scored one goal in 11 World Cup finals appearances, hits back at fans booing after England's draw with Algeria in 2010 - Laurence Griffiths/Getty Images

“For me he’s looked very frustrated. I’ve been there [in] exactly the position he’s in. Even the game [on Tuesday], you saw him throwing his arms up in the air.

“As a talisman for England and Real Madrid, I haven’t heard him speak. What is the reason for that? As one of the iconic players now for England in the squad, he should be fronting that.

“That tells me that he’s probably not quite right in the tournament.

“He’s giving it his all, 100 per cent. I don’t think that’s the problem. You want players demanding more from their team-mates, and I think that’s what he was trying to do.

“So, it’s not a criticism, it is a compliment in some ways, but you just don’t want that to boil over to the point where he might pick up a silly red card.”

Rooney also questioned Southgate’s decision to pick just one natural left-back in his squad in Luke Shaw, who is not yet fully fit.

“I was very surprised and really shocked that Ben Chilwell didn’t get picked just for balance of having a left-footed player there,” said Rooney.

“You’re talking about Ben Chilwell who’s playing at Chelsea and he’s played well for England in the past.”

Bellingham was not asked about Rooney’s comments during a subsequent appearance on Lions’ Den, nor about the booing of England after their goalless draw with Slovenia.

Instead, the show sought to put a positive spin on the “noise” there had been during the game.

Bellingham said: “In the last games, I felt absolutely dead but you hear them singing, you hear them chanting. You can play at a level which is not at your best – it is normal, it can happen – but the important thing when you are wearing this badge is that you don’t give up and they are a constant reminder.

“I know there is a lot of negativity outside the stadium and the camp. I always feel, when we get in the stadium, it is so different and I think it is important that, as team-mates, and as a team, we remember the ones in the stadium are going to give us the energy.

“So don’t worry about the ones that aren’t there. We have to keep using that energy and the feeling we get to be successful in this tournament.“

Rooney has been a pundit for the BBC’s live coverage of the Euros but is returning home, having been appointed manager of Plymouth Argyle, for whom pre-season is about to begin.

He hinted he was disappointed not to have been selected for coverage of England’s games against Serbia and Denmark.

He said: “Unfortunately, I haven’t had any of the England games to talk about, really, and the games I’ve done haven’t been the greatest. But it’s nice to spend some time here.”

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