Bellingham vows to give everything for England at World Cup to honour late grandfather

Jude Bellingham has spoken openly about the personal motivation behind his commitment to England, revealing that his late grandfather is in his thoughts every time the national anthem plays before a match.

The Real Madrid midfielder, who played a key role in England’s opening World Cup win over Croatia, said his grandfather — who passed away shortly before Bellingham made his senior international debut — remains a constant presence in his mind on matchdays.

“I think the national anthem is the last chance you get to really be mindful of the people who have got you there and what it means to be from England,” Bellingham said. “I think about my grandad, who passed away just before my England debut. He was so patriotic. He was an Englishman through and through. He could give you every fact about every war, every battle, every king, every queen.”

Bellingham also cited the sacrifices made by his wider family as a source of motivation. “I do think about grandad when that moment’s coming,” he said. “I also think about the rest of my family and the sacrifices they’ve made to get me here.”

Now appearing at his second World Cup, the 21-year-old says he is living out a boyhood dream and is determined to repay the faith placed in him — whether he starts or comes off the bench.

“When I cross the line, wear that badge on the front, wear the No10 on the back of my shirt, I make sure I give everything that I have,” he said. “It’s every footballer’s dream to play at a World Cup and I’ve been fortunate enough to play in one already and now I’m back with the squad for the second one.”

Bellingham also spoke about captaining England for the first time during recent friendlies, describing it as a sign of his growing stature within the squad. “I wore the captain’s armband for the first time in the friendlies which means I’m on a good path,” he said. “I know I can contribute whether it be from the starting XI, from the bench — I understand other players deserve to play as well. But I think I’m more than ready to give the team minutes.”

On the mental side of the game, Bellingham argued that composure is what separates the best players at tournament level. “I think it’s always the players who are calmer, more relaxed who understand what they have to do and don’t get carried away with the atmosphere,” he said. “They are normally the ones who normally seem to look a step above.”