Do you remember the release of Beyoncé’s Crazy In Love”? What about Wayne Rooney’s England debut in a friendly defeat to Australia at Upton Park? Or when sensational pop duo Jemini, representing the United Kingdom, scored nul points and finished in last place in the Eurovision Song Contest? I guess what we’re actually asking is: do you want to feel old? Because if you remember one or all of those things, Jude Bellingham doesn’t.
The great new hope of England’s midfield is not old enough to buy a pint in the rooftop bar of one of Doha’s luxury hotels, even if he wanted to pay the prohibitively expensive prices his 21st birthday still being more than a good 18 months away but he is finally of an age where Gareth Southgate feels comfortable starting him in the opening game of a World Cup campaign, and of the maturity to own such an occasion.
Bellingham’s first England goal is England’s first goal of this World Cup, his 35th-minute header breaking Iran’s resistance and breaking the back of an awkward, attritional game up until that point.
This story is from the November 22, 2022 edition of The Independent.
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This story is from the November 22, 2022 edition of The Independent.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
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