Generational talent? Bellingham gets Hoddle & Gazza treatment

Jude Bellingham Paul Gascoigne Glenn Hoddle

Jude Bellingham may have been billed as a generational talent, but David James has told GOAL why England are right to treat the Real Madrid superstar in the same manner as Glenn Hoddle and Paul Gascoigne. The Three Lions have not always built around their most gifted players, with Thomas Tuchel seemingly adopting that stance again in 2026.

'Galactico' Bellingham not assured of starting berth with England

Bellingham has, having faced questions of his selection at one stage, earned a place in England’s plans for the World Cup finals in North America. He will likely have a prominent role to play there.

Fierce competition is, however, faced in the No.10 department and there are no guarantees that a ‘Galactico’ from Santiago Bernabeu will secure a starting berth. That may seem slightly bizarre to some, given the undoubtedly ability that the 22-year-old possesses, but collective strength is being prioritised over individual brilliance.

Jude Bellingham - England v New Zealand - International Friendly

Should England be building around players of Bellingham's ability?

Quizzed on whether Bellingham is the kind of performer that should play every game, as others are fitted in around him, ex-England goalkeeper James - speaking on behalf of Grosvenor Sport, who offer the latest World Cup Odds - told GOAL: “No, not at the top. No, no, no. I think everything that Thomas has said, especially about this squad, we can only focus on the World Cup with regards to this at the moment, suggests that there is a balance to this team, there isn't a focal player.

“I think the danger with building around a focal player is that if there are any problems with that player then everything starts to go wrong. Jude is an amazing player, when he's on top of his game then there's pretty much no better player around than Jude Bellingham, but you need everybody to share the load to win a World Cup and I think that what Thomas is looking to do is utilise what he's got in his squad, rather than just focus on one player and get everyone to work around that.

“There will be times where Jude will take control, I'm sure, that's just the quality of the player. But I think the actual set-up is squad-based to maximise the potential for success.”

Hoddle, Gazza & Scholes: Have England wasted certain talents?

James once graced England squads that featured the likes of Wayne Rooney, Steven Gerrard and Paul Scholes. Plenty of selection posers were faced back then, and nothing has changed down the years.

The Three Lions famously failed to make the most of having Tottenham legend Hoddle at their disposal in the 1980s, while the mercurial talents of Gazza were ignored - by Hoddle - at the 1998 World Cup.

Pressed on whether England have historically mismanaged players that other countries would have made cornerstones of their respective teams, James added: “Let me just think about success. First of all, we had no success with those players and their ultimate success, i.e. winning trophies.

“I think when you look at successful world teams, you're talking about exceptional talent. I'm not saying Jude Bellingham hasn't got exceptional talent, but France, [Zinedine] Zidane, [Andres] Iniesta for Spain, Lionel Messi for Argentina. But then I would say that they were exceptional in an era, head and shoulders better than anyone else in their respective eras.

“As highly talented as Jude is, and we've already seen in the World Cup the quality of player that they're coming up against, they're at such a high level now, I think the idea of depending on one person to try and give you success now just doesn't work.

“Therefore, you can use them, get the best out of them at certain times, but then you have to adapt to a different strategy, using different players. I think that's what England have got at the moment, the balance with the quality that we don't have to depend on one player.”

Jude Bellingham Morgan Rogers England 2026

Who will start for England in 2026 World Cup opener versus Croatia?

It remains to be seen whether Bellingham will get the nod for England’s 2026 World Cup opener against Croatia on Wednesday. Aston Villa playmaker Morgan Rogers is very much in the mix there, alongside Premier League title winner Eberechi Eze of Arsenal.

Tuchel has shown that he is not afraid to make contentious decisions - having completely overlooked the likes of Phil Foden, Cole Palmer and Morgan Gibbs-White - and Bellingham is painfully aware that no one player will ever be bigger than the interests of an entire nation.