13 January 2024 , 11:55
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Sven-Goran Eriksson insists he would have found a spot for Jude Bellingham in his England side, despite the options at his disposal.
The ex-Three Lions boss has cast his eye over the current generation, who many feel could finally win a first major tournament since 1966 at this summer's Euros. Eriksson is among those who has backed them to go all the way with Bellingham now one of their shining lights.
Despite his tender age the Real Madrid midfielder has become an integral part of England's set-up. There remains intense debate over who Gareth Southgate should play and where but the Los Blancos star has shown himself to be one of Europe's top performers this season.
Eriksson told The Sun : “ Harry Kane is a born goalscorer and important for England. But what about the kid from Real Madrid! He’s a big star in Spain and is going to be a big star on the world stage. He is young and extremely good — attacking, defending and scoring goals. I wish he had been at my disposal. I would have found a place for him, for sure.”
Southgate has played Kalvin Phillips and Declan Rice at the base of midfield in the past. Jordan Henderson too remains an option whilst Mason Mount and Phil Foden could drop into more central roles if there was a lack of space on the wings.
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Eriksson himself knows all too well about having an abundance of quality in one position, especially when it comes to midfield. He had to try and juggle Paul Scholes, Steven Gerrard and Frank Lampard - eventually settling on a Lampard-Gerrard combination in the middle of the pitch.
Jude Bellingham has become a leading light with the Three Lions (PA)There were criticisms over the system, with some claiming it didn't work due to the two players looking to perform similar roles. Upon reflection, the Swede has rejected that notion.
He previously told Mirror Football: "I think it worked. We reached the quarter-finals and we should have done better. Gerrard and Lampard could play together. I can't see that. And I know that the media many times said they can't play together.
"But I should have asked the media, 'who shall we put in and who shall we put out?'. I mean, they were so fantastic, good both of them. Then if you put [Paul] Scholes and [David] Beckham there... I mean, normally, you play the best players. And Steven Gerrard and Frank Lampard were two very intelligent football players. Of course they can play together, if one attacks, the other stays. So I couldn't see any big problem."