Jude Bellingham's England issue, why dressing room were glad he left, Real Madrid bust-up

Jude Bellingham is hoping to write another chapter in his already-great Real Madrid career when Los Blancos host Arsenal in their Champions League quarter-final second leg. Bellingham had a poor showing in the first leg at the Emirates Stadium in which his side lost 3-0 - and the Englishman admitted after that the 15-time winners were lucky not to have conceded more.

The 21-year-old in his short career has already developed a reputation as a big-game player and a leader on the pitch, capable of popping up with clutch moments for club and country. His 95th minute overhead kick against Slovakia to keep England in Euro 2024, as well as two El Clasico match winners in his debut season, prove that.

Yet the same big personality that has led some to tout Bellingham as a future England captain has also caused friction in the dressing room on occasion, with the 2023 Golden Boy winner’s passion sometimes spilling over. That was evident in the lead-up to this Wednesday’s Champions League clash with Arsenal when he reportedly got into a fiery altercation with a Real Madrid team-mate.

Mirror Football will now delve into that incident, as well as the other times Bellingham’s has come under scrutiny and allegedly caused problems behind the scenes.

Borussia Dortmund is where Bellingham went from an exceptionally talented 17-year-old to establishing himself as a world class player, producing 49 goals and assists in three seasons while narrowly missing out on a Bundesliga title in his final season. Yet, Bild reported that some at the Westfalenstadion were “glad to see the back of him” after his £95million move to Real Madrid.

The report claimed that some of his team-mates had developed a dislike for certain traits he exhibited, such as often basking in the fans’ adoration once the rest of the Dortmund players had departed. It was suggested Bellingham would regularly hang back instead of joining the squad for celebrations and then soak up celebrations by himself.

Another alleged issue was a perceived lack of respect towards team-mates, as well as his choice of language, with one incident where he slammed Nico Schulz against Rangers in 2022 being a high-profile example. Bild claims the midfielder was fast-tracked into Dortmund’s leadership group but some players felt he wasn’t always up to the task of making himself available as a point of contact for his colleagues.

While clearly one of England’s most gifted players, The Athletic has suggested similar issues have followed Bellingham to the Three Lions set-up. It has been suggested that the Birmingham City academy graduate doesn’t have strong connections with the majority of his team-mates, with Trent Alexander-Arnold being an exception.

England legend Wayne Rooney addressed Bellingham’s apparently individualistic mindset too during Euro 2024, saying that the starlet was showing his frustrations towards team-mates too easily, highlighting his actions against Slovenia as a concern. Having been elevated to the leadership group alongside Harry Kane, Kyle Walker and Declan Rice like at Dortmund, Bellingham didn’t step up for certain media duties outside of the obligatory rotation at Euro 2024, while more minor players in the squad did.

"It may be time to grow up, make decisions and say, 'I need to help out and speak during the difficult times,'" wrote Rooney in a column for The Times. "Because if England win these Euros, I'm sure you'll see him doing interviews."

Carlo Ancelotti’s men are hoping to pull off a miraculous comeback against Arsenal on Wednesday. But his side’s preparations were reportedly disrupted by Bellingham’s clash with team-mate Antonio Rudiger during one training session.

Bellingham, who was rested for Real’s La Liga visit to Alaves on Sunday, was caught by a heavy tackle from the hard-nosed German defender during a small-sided game in Friday’s training.

According to El Chiringuito, he took exception and angrily confronted Rudiger, allegedly insulting his team-mate before the pair “had to be separated” by other players.

The flashpoint, however, does not appear to have escalated, having been deemed part and parcel of the intense nature of life at a big club, especially before such a high-stakes Champions League night. Both Bellingham and Rudiger are expected to return to the starting XI against Arsenal.

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