Gailsenkirchen – England first-class player Jude Bellingham explained his obscene gesture after the dream goal to make it 1-1 in the last 16 thriller against Slovakia and defended himself against criticism. The 21-year-old Real Madrid professional shared a video via that was in the stadium. Nothing but respect for Slovakia and how they played today.”
In a 2-1 victory after extra time, Bellingham saved the Three Lions from relegation on Sunday in Gelsenkirchen with an overhead kick in the fifth minute of extra time. In addition to his message, he added two smileys to the video he later shared: a red X and a yawning face. “You’re 30 seconds from driving home feeling like you’ve let down an entire nation. And in 30 seconds and with one shot everything can change.”
Kane: One of England’s best goals
Bayern striker Harry Kane scored the winning goal at the start of extra time. But the captain wanted to talk less about that and more about his younger colleague’s stroke of acrobatic genius. “It was one of the best goals in the history of our country. Whichever player he is, he kept us alive at this European Championship. “He works so hard for the team and in the big moments he does,” praised Kane.
Coach Gareth Southgate, whose era was about to end in extra time in Gelsenkirchen, also highlighted Bellingham. “He has an incredible impact, even though he is still a young man. He will say things and react like a young man, but he can decide big games and that’s what he did,” Southgate said.