Wayne Rooney has responded to Jude Bellingham's comments about a lack of togetherness in the England squad at previous major tournaments, admitting that some Three Lions players may have been unhappy. The former England and Manchester United star believes Bellingham's remarks underline the work Thomas Tuchel had to do after taking over from Gareth Southgate.
Rooney's Take on Bellingham's Comments
Tuchel has attempted to foster a club-style mentality in the England camp, bringing in experienced players like Jordan Henderson and Dan Burn to restore leadership. Bellingham had referred to a lack of connection at Euro 2024, and Rooney agreed that this suggests some squad members were far from content.
Speaking on the BBC, presenter Gabby Logan asked Rooney: "Jude Bellingham said something interesting today, about perhaps things not being quite so cohesive, not as connected in Euro 2024 as they could have been. It's interesting because that seemed to have been Gareth's USP, to have that culture. How hard is it to keep 26 players satisfied?"
Rooney, who was part of England's "Golden Generation" in 2006 when there were accusations of divisions between Manchester United, Liverpool, and Chelsea players, replied: "It's very difficult, and I think it just shows, because for the last two tournaments we've thought that everything with the England team has been really close, and all the messages were coming out that it's been a really close group.
"So maybe Thomas Tuchel has dug into that and seen that, and said 'do you know what, I need a squad who are going to be connected and always together, whether we lose or draw.' We're going to have a team here as one and maybe it hasn't been the case previously, but to keep 26 players happy is almost impossible. I think you're going to get someone who's not going to be happy."
Bellingham's Own Words
Bellingham had said on England's Lions Den show: "At the Euros, we got some things a little bit wrong off the pitch. I don't feel like the group connected as well as it could have for a number of reasons. Expectation was part of it - we had done well in 2018 and done well in Qatar, and when it came to that tournament, we were seen as one of two or three teams that should win it. We were not playing particularly well, so even when we were winning, you didn't get the feeling you were as happy as you should be.
"There has to be that element of relentless and wanting to win, but it is the nature of football that wins go out of the system quickly, and we should hold on to that moment a little more. I think this time round having those experiences... and knowing, for example, that the guy who scores the winning goal in the World Cup final isn't always the one you'd bet your house on so you've always got to be ready, everyone's got to feel loved and feel a huge part of the team. The other thing is just to enjoy it."
