Henderson backs Bellingham as England X-factor
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- Jordan Henderson said criticism of Jude Bellingham is 'hard to read' and called the 22-year-old his team's 'X-factor' ahead of England's World Cup opener against Croatia on Wednesday (21:00 BST).
- A key selection debate before the tournament's first game has been whether Bellingham or Morgan Rogers will start in the number 10 role under manager Thomas Tuchel.
- Bellingham has faced criticism for recent England performances and previously claimed he was made a 'scapegoat' in the camp.
- Henderson, who gave Bellingham his first cap six years ago, said the midfielder's growth since then has been 'incredible,' and noted Bellingham is one of the most experienced players in the squad with 48 caps ahead of his third major tournament.
- Bellingham was filmed giving 17-year-old Rio Ngumoha his England legacy cap and made a changing-room speech after Ngumoha's debut in a 1-0 friendly win over New Zealand.
- Henderson said much of what is written about Bellingham in the media is 'actually untrue' and that 'we all love him inside the camp,' citing Bellingham's mentorship of young squad members including Ngumoha, Josh King, Alex Scott, and Ethan Nwaneri.
Why it matters: Henderson, a 35-year-old included in Tuchel's squad for his leadership, is publicly pushing back on the media narrative around Bellingham just 24 hours before England face Croatia, sharpening the stakes of the number 10 selection call. His specific evidence — the 17-year-old mentorship moments the cameras did catch — reframes a debate that has focused on performances rather than what Henderson says Bellingham offers behind the scenes.
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