England manager Thomas Tuchel has admitted that Jude Bellingham's on-pitch intensity can sometimes be 'a bit repulsive' – even to his own mother. In an interview with TalkSport, Tuchel opened up about the Real Madrid star's fiery temperament, which he says can intimidate teammates and referees.
Tuchel, who took charge of England in January, stressed the need to channel Bellingham's aggression towards opponents rather than colleagues. 'He has a certain edge that is hard to find,' Tuchel said. 'The edge needs to be channelled towards the opponent, towards our goal and not to intimidate teammates or to be overaggressive towards teammates or referees.'
The German coach revealed that even his own mother has mixed feelings when watching Bellingham play. 'I see this with my parents, with my mum, that she sometimes cannot see the nice and well-educated and well-behaved guy that I see and the smile,' Tuchel said. 'Sometimes you see the rage, the hunger and the fire and it comes out in a way that can be a bit repulsive.'
Despite the criticism, Tuchel described Bellingham as a 'special boy' and a 'nice kid, very open, very intelligent'. He insisted he wants to harness the 21-year-old's fire, not dim it, as England aim for World Cup glory next summer.
Tuchel also discussed the possibility of Bellingham playing alongside his younger brother Jobe for England. Jobe, 19, recently joined Borussia Dortmund from Sunderland for £27m. 'If you're ready at that highest level, you can be selected,' Tuchel said.
