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Jude Bellingham is England’s star player, arguably England’s best player and deserves to be a national treasure. But his relationship with the media has attracted nearly as many column inches lately as anything he has done on the pitch.

Not since David Beckham have England had such a global superstar who will be on billboards, across TV shows and one of the faces of this summer’s World Cup. And that begs the question as to why the relationship between Bellingham and the media has become so difficult.

Bellingham has talked about feeling like he is a "scapegoat" and not enjoying doing media interviews and a mistrust of the press who, he thinks, just want England to fail. Is that fair? And where does that come from? Should a star player just become used to being in the spotlight? Having his every move questioned and analysed.

Bellingham was England’s saviour at the Euros in 2024. Remember that overhead kick against Slovakia in the 95th minute? He saved England from a humiliating defeat in a game they went on to win. Few other players could have done it.

He is playing for Real Madrid. He is a generational talent. He is the reason why England will feel they can win the World Cup. So, how on earth did it come to pass that England’s best player is the player we hear from the least?

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'Vultures, clowns & scapegoats' - What has Bellingham actually said about the media?

It would be very simple to paint Bellingham as the villain of the piece. Not wanting to do interviews, feeling a mistrust of the media and also a lack of appreciation.

His comments on his own YouTube channel - filmed during the Euros - were particularly telling. "I used to do the media on certain things and where everyone would take what I said on face value," says Bellingham on YouTube.

"When I get up there, I feel like they're all like vultures waiting for me to say something which is half controversial and turn it into a massive story.

"The fans who come to the games are a lot more supportive. There's this trend on social media where it's like funny or cool to see England lose.

"They always need someone to be the bad guy, someone to be the scapegoat and it seems like it's going to be me. People talk about my body language all the time but I get frustrated because I want to win. I don’t like losing.

"The only thing I care about is the team, the team winning and winning trophies so you can go and party with the team. So when people say stuff like that, that's what hurts me the most.

"It becomes a little bit personal and why I haven’t done press interviews and is something wrong with me and it hurts a little bit, I’m not going to lie. I know it hurts my parents, it hurts my brother and I know my friends get hurt by it."

More recently, when his Madrid coach Alonso was sacked amid the usual reports of dressing room disharmony, Bellingham posted a withering comeback on social media.

Bellingham wrote: "Until now I've let far too many of these slide, always hoping the truth will come to light in its own time. But honestly... What a load of s***.

"Truly feel sorry for the people that hang on to the every word of these clowns and their 'sources.'

"Don't believe everything you read, every now and then these lot need to be held accountable for spreading this kind of damaging misinformation for clicks and added controversy."

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Outside the system - where did the media mistrust start?

This is actually reminiscent of what a player might have said from a previous time. When - rightly or wrongly - England players were convinced the world (and the media at the heart of that) was against them.

You can trace that back to numerous tournaments before Gareth Southgate's eight-year reign. He was the England manager who made it his mission to build bridges and take the weight of the shirt off the shoulders of the players.

But what has happened - and is happening - with Bellingham feels like we have wound the clock back and that is a real shame. It would be so easy to just blindly point the finger at the player and say it is all about results and they will all be heroes if they win.

But that feels rather simplistic. And, in Bellingham's case, surely it deserves a bit more context and understanding as to where this all stems from.

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There must be a link back to when Bellingham was a kid growing up at Birmingham City. And there is such a stark difference between his development and the likes of Phil Foden, Bukayo Saka or other England players of his generation.

Birmingham were outside of the traditional Premier League academy system and, as such, all of the big clubs were circling around Bellingham from a very young age.

They were offering huge inducements, promises and big transfer fees. Agents were all over the family and it does breed a feeling of mistrust. Myles Lewis-Skelly's mum Marcia even set-up The No1 Fan Club to help parents navigate the perils of being a football mum or dad.

Jude's dad Mark probably has a better grasp than most because he was a prolific non-league striker. But even so, fielding calls, offers and endless approaches must be tiring. I last saw Mark and his mum Denise at the North East Football Writers’ Association dinner as their younger son, Jobe, was joint-winner of the Young Footballer of the Year award.

It is obvious that they are so proud - and rightly so - of their boys. The family pride is actually wonderful. Just look at the way Jude talks about Jobe. It is lovely. When Jude gets any time off, he is back to support Jobe.

With that, also comes an element of protection. Who to trust and what to do. Imagine your son or daughter growing up in the spotlight, being 16 and breaking records for being the youngest player and suddenly having his earnings splashed in the newspapers.

In his recent autobiography, Joe Cole talked about how a front page - yes, front page - of the Sunday People had the headline: "£5,000 A Week And He Is Just 16!" That is nearly 30 years ago. Cole insists the story was wrong but did not prevent what he thought was a perception of him being "spoilt, overpaid and having too much too soon."

It puts you in the spotlight. And, therefore, maybe that is a key reason as to why Jude Bellingham moved to Borussia Dortmund when he decided to leave his beloved Birmingham City to continue his journey.

Dortmund development - it hasn’t always been this way

There are few better clubs in the world at nurturing and developing talent. They also ensure that the family are part of the process. His parents divided time between the two boys as Jobe was also developing fast into a very fine player at Birmingham City.

Dortmund beat off Manchester United and others to sign him. Bryan Robson revealed how he and Eric Cantona were recruited to try and convince Jude to sign as they gave him a tour of the training ground. Talk about bringing out the big guns.

But it still did not work. Then you get a host of other clubs saying how they nearly got him. Tony Adams claimed Arsenal had a "deal done" in 2020 before Bellingham went to Dortmund. Even Frank Lampard said he told Chelsea to sign him - but they did not listen.

Neither club were close. Would that annoy you as a parent if you knew that was never going to happen? Yet it is open season for anyone in football to use his name to get some sort of credibility.

Bellingham did do interviews at Dortmund. He was well liked, popular and it is the same with England now. He can be incredibly charming. He is interested in staff members, has a laugh and a nice manner in his broad Brummie accent.

His first tournament was the Euros in 2021 and he was so young. Maybe too young to do media interviews when he turned 18 in that tournament. But that protection has arguably turned into over controlling and the FA clearly want him to do more.

That Euros was also still in semi-Covid times. There was some in-house stuff where he got to know some of the FA commercial staff.

One member of FA staff later left to join Team Bellingham and the theory was that might lead to more media and press activity. Lewis Maddison has been pictured with Bellingham and is on that YouTube show.

Bellingham has done regular TV flash interviews after Champions League games. TNT pundit Rio Ferdinand even joked "he’s the one you want your daughter to bring home" when he was so eloquent when answering questions about the pressure and weight of expectation of playing for Real Madrid.

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Eyes down & dad's protection

Let’s be crystal clear here: the FA's comms team is regarded across Europe as the standard bearers and the best in the business in terms of access, communication and openness. Across all teams and age groups.

They are certainly the best I have come across in international football. And, trust me, if you go to other national camps you never get such a welcome and help. This current situation with the Bellingham media stand-off, in my view, is not in any way down to them.

That is a widely held view across media, players and coaching staff. But Bellingham did precious little during the last Euros and snubbed "set-piece" friendly, sit-down TV interviews even for host broadcasters.

Bellingham was brilliant knockabout fun with radio commentator Ian Danter during the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. Dants is a renowned Birmingham City fan, a real Blue Nose and Bellingham loved it.

There has been banter on a few rare occasions - largely about his team. He is clearly so passionate about Birmingham City that he even had an impromptu game of darts with an Aston Villa supporting member of the press.

Another thing stuck out on his YouTube chat that he claimed journalists ask questions in press conferences and then look down to type. "They ask the question and then instead of looking you in the eye they go like that (head down) and writing down what you said to them."

Personally, if I’m asking the question I would stay looking. But often journalists are on deadline and they are just trying to type the words in as they go.

You can tell through Bellingham's own words that he does not like doing many media interviews and now we are in a place where him talking while on England duty seems further away than ever. It is a shame because he speaks so well and is so articulate. But it is wrong to just assume this is a media gripe because he is not talking to the press.

There is generally a rota at tournaments about players doing media duties and if one player is given a free pass it is unlikely to please others who have to do more and also ask why someone is not doing interviews. His dad has gained a reputation for having a temper and has bawled out journalists.

At the risk of sounding old, that used to be a badge of honour in the Sir Alex Ferguson era and beyond. It would not have even been reported on a few years back. Now it makes articles and feeds into the whole Bellingham media issue.

You can only speak as you find, and equally that has not been my experience. But, now, no journalist is ever going to be on the family Christmas card list.

Tuchel ‘repulsive’ and ‘intimidatory’ comments set fire to Bellingham debate

But where it has really flared up and taken a new life of its own is ever since the England manager Thomas Tuchel said, in a live radio interview, that his mother found some of Bellingham's on-the-field antics "repulsive" and that they can intimidate teammates.

It still staggers me to this day that a manager would say that about a player. Of course we want players and managers to be honest and say things of note.

But just think about that… the England manager is questioning a player's behaviour, character and, in effect, his upbringing. If you are a parent what would you think? I would be appalled.

It set the hare running. That comment about Bellingham intimidating teammates was arguably even worse than the "repulsive" remark.

Tuchel has apologised and subsequently been infuriated at the interest in Bellingham and their relationship. What on earth did he expect? That was a misstep on his part.

But it also means that it is even more of an issue every time Bellingham is not in a squad or does not start. It begs all sorts of questions.

Star players have egos. They always have - and they always will. There has long been a theory that Jordan Henderson is in the squad to be some sort of minder for Bellingham.

The respect is mutual between the pair but Henderson has rejected that notion, insisting he is in the squad on his own merits. There have also been countless stories and opinion pieces arguing why Bellingham should not start even to the extreme of not putting him in the squad.

That is just plain ridiculous, in my opinion. And if you actually were to analyse the overall media coverage, it’s not a widely held view. Yet suddenly TV blandly describe it as "sections of the media." That's a pretty wide, sweeping statement. It is also not fair.

The Ian Wright intervention & 'no way back' for Bellingham and the media

After England won in Albania to complete a flawless World Cup qualifying campaign, one reporter even claimed in a question put to Tuchel that Bellingham had not celebrated. That was wrong and no-one actually ever wrote it. But it gets played out on social media and therefore must be true…

Then, if ever you needed proof of a unity, England players - including Harry Kane - posted pictures on social media of the celebration and pointedly included Bellingham. Whatever the perception and whatever is said privately, players generally put on a united public front and back their teammates over the media every time.

It did catch light again when Ian Wright, one of the most respected voices in the game, gave an impassioned speech on Gary Neville's podcast, talking about why black players are treated differently and the media do not like players they cannot control.

Wright also said the media is "not ready for a black superstar." That is something I do not agree with at all but then I also take exception to pundits grouping all journalists together by describing us as "sections of the media."

If you go back and look, the vast majority of papers rounded on Tuchel for his remarks - not Bellingham. He is an exceptional talent who has won the Champions League with Real Madrid. That should be celebrated.

In my view, there is no chance of a way back from here with Bellingham and the media. There must be fault on both sides. But it is hard to see it resolved. And that is a crying shame because Bellingham is England's best player and standout star - someone every England fan wants to hear from.

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