Jude Bellingham dismissed criticism of Trent Alexander-Arnold’s defensive abilities as “a lot of nonsense” while commending his England teammate following their 1-0 victory over Serbia. Alexander-Arnold, making only his second tournament start for England, played alongside Declan Rice in midfield in the Euro 2024 opener against Serbia, a position different from his usual role at Liverpool. Despite pre-match scrutiny over his defensive capabilities, Bellingham laughed off the concerns following the match.

“He makes it so easy for me, because he can control the game so well,” he told ITV.

“Defensively, I think, in that position, I know people talk a lot of rubbish, but I think he was so aggressive with the back-to-goal pressure.

“And it really helped me as well, because it meant I got a breather when he went out.

“I think we understand each other well with the ball, he wants to play positive all the time, he wants to play forward all the time.

“I think we accept as team-mates who have that kind of quality that we’re going to lose the ball, and that’s fine, we’ll win it back for each other and we’ll keep playing. I thought he was brilliant.”

During his post-match press conference, Bellingham reiterated his admiration for Trent Alexander-Arnold, emphasizing the Liverpool player’s unmatched quality and positivity on the ball. Bellingham, who operated further forward as a No. 10 during the match, expressed his delight in playing alongside Alexander-Arnold, highlighting the great balance they achieved both in possession and without the ball.

He praised Alexander-Arnold’s ability to control games and remain composed on the ball, describing his technique and quality as unparalleled. Bellingham appreciated Alexander-Arnold’s positive mindset, which complemented his own desire to be involved in attacking play.

Looking ahead, Bellingham expressed eagerness to continue playing alongside Alexander-Arnold, anticipating further development and synergy between their playing styles. Additionally, he commended Declan Rice for his outstanding performance, considering him one of the best in the world in his position.

Alexander-Arnold gave his own view on the night as he spoke to ITV after the game – which saw him replaced by Conor Gallagher after 69 minutes, having fired more shots on goal than any other player

“It was good, I thoroughly, thoroughly enjoyed it,” he said.

“I felt prepared through the conversations and the work that we’d done throughout the week.

“This is something that may seem brand new, but it’s not, we’ve been working – me, the manager, [assistant] Steve Holland – very hard on this role for the past year.

“So a lot of prep’s gone into it, a lot of information, a lot of learning, and a lot of analysing has gone into it.

“They gave me a role to do today and hopefully they feel like I executed it, help contribute to the win and keep a clean sheet.”