Fulham teenager Josh King has said Jude Bellingham has taken him under his wing during his first senior England call-up, and insisted he is ready to play wherever manager Thomas Tuchel needs him.
The 19-year-old attacking midfielder was part of the Three Lions' pre-World Cup training camp in Florida in June, but received his first proper call-up on Friday ahead of Nations League matches against Croatia on Thursday and Spain on Sunday.
King has taken on significant responsibility at club level under Alvaro Arbeloa this season and now has the chance to make his senior international debut in the coming week.
Bellingham's Support
Speaking about his early experiences with the squad, King highlighted the support he has received from some of England's senior players.
"Jude was a big person for me. He took me under his wing and tried to make me feel welcome," King said. "There were a lot of players like that. Harry Kane as well, he was one person who really made me feel welcome and tried to help me through my time there."
He added: "But it's a credit to what England have going here, everyone is a really good person as well as good player on the pitch."
Dream Call-Up
King described the call-up as a major milestone in his career, expressing gratitude for the trust shown in him.
"Playing for England is the dream so to be that one step closer is an amazing achievement, something I've been working towards for a long time," he said. "I'm grateful to the manager for putting his trust in me."
Tuchel said on Friday that he sees King as an option on the right wing this month, while also considering him capable of playing in a variety of attacking positions.
Versatile Options
King is open to being deployed in any role, pointing to his adaptability as a key reason for his selection.
"I'm happy to play anywhere for the manager," King said on Monday. "I have to add other parts to my game, in wider positions you might have to cover defensively or make runs in behind."
He added: "I'm capable of playing lots of different positions, which is probably one of the reasons why I'm here."
In an interview with Standard Sport in April, King said he wants to become "one of the best midfielders in the world" and dreams in time of being a "leader" for club and country.
