Jude Bellingham happy to assume responsibility of lifting England

Stourbridge-born Jude Bellingham says he takes the responsibility of lifting England to another level on his shoulders.

England struggled to make the breakthrough against Panama in their final Group L game at the World Cup and briefly looked set for a potential meeting with Portugal in the last 32 until Bellingham’s intervention.

The Real Madrid star steered home a corner to open the scoring just after the hour mark and five minutes later turned provider for Harry Kane to head home a decisive second.

Bellingham got England out of a hole as the 2-0 victory meant they topped the group and set up a last-32 meeting with DR Congo on Wednesday.

Bellingham said: “I felt in the second half we were all a bit sharper and clinical in what we were doing.

“That has an effect on me and for me there is a responsibility to get the team going to another level, another level of intensity more than anything.

“But I think all the lads were ready to go after half-time, we realised we had a couple more gears to go after a so-so start in the first half and in the second half we showed that.”

Finishing second in the group would have meant a meeting with old foes Portugal in Toronto.

Beyond that, it would also have set up a possible last-16 tie with Spain and a quarter-final against France.

And Bellingham emphasised the importance of the team being in control of their route through the competition.

“We had the goal in mind before the start of the tournament that we wanted to take it in sections,” he said.

“We have achieved our first objective of wanting to win the group. (Saturday) was important because we want to be in control of our destiny, in terms of our route, where we play.

“I know some people have already made plans and they won’t have to cancel them now.

“I have learnt that, playing in tournaments, it is important you try and craft your way through the tournament as best as possible and we have done that.”