Jude Bellingham won the man of the match award after England’s frustrating goalless draw with Ghana in Boston, but the midfielder didn’t feel his display warranted it.
England drew 0-0 with Ghana in Group L and fell short against Boston.
Jude Bellingham has such high standards for himself that winning the World Cup Player of the Year award against Ghana was an embarrassment.
Although the attacking midfielder couldn’t match the height he shot against Croatia in Dallas, he still wasn’t as bad as he claimed in his post-match flash interview.
After being informed that he had been named player of the match, Bellingham told the BBC: “To be honest, I didn’t deserve the award. Maybe it should have gone to one of the players who defended very well. I had a little bit of time, but I didn’t play in the game. Thank you to everyone who voted.”
“The excitement for the second game was against England. They won the first game, drew the second game, and that’s fine. I think they played for a draw, and if that happened they would have won. Fair play to them. They did a great job.”
When asked who he remembers when he receives such an accolade, Bellingham replied, “My family, my teammates, and the coach who gave me the opportunity to go to the World Cup. I probably didn’t deserve this award, but I’m grateful nonetheless.”
On a frustrating night for the Real Madrid star and his compatriot, only Antoine Semenho (5.7) and Inaki Williams (5.8) out of the 22 players in the starting XI were rated lower by Footmob than Bellingham (6).
Although most people would have missed it as they were in bed, the photo of Bellingham that had to be taken as the FIFA Player of the Year award winner spoke for itself, as Bellingham was clearly uncomfortable, perhaps because he was not satisfied with his performance.
But it should be encouraging for England. That’s because while Morgan Rodgers looks for his jersey after impressing off the bench, Bellingham will be itching to prove his point again against Panama.
He is a very self-aware talent and would be proud and embarrassed to accept the award. It keeps the fire burning in his stomach and will likely ensure he comes back with a strong performance this weekend in New Jersey.
Importantly, Bellingham is also correct. The Ghanaian defender would have been a worthy winner, and it almost feels strange to praise England’s individual performance when collectively they played so badly.
He humbly admitted to making a “stupid tackle” just before half-time to increase tensions, an incident that felt somewhat unnecessary.
The good thing is that the England maestro has the humility to know right from wrong and calmed down his spat with Carlos Queiroz by insisting he has nothing but respect for the Ghanaian manager.
At 22, he may not be everyone’s cup of tea, but he has class and a maturity far beyond his years.
The competitiveness in him is just a natural thing, and if you tried to strip it away and take it away, he wouldn’t be half the same player.
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