Liverpool hero completely changes his mind on Jude Bellingham — 'I didn't like'
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Former Liverpool midfielder Hamann, who represented Germany at two World Cups, provided analysis of England's match for RTE and acknowledged that certain aspects of Bellingham's behavior during his time at Borussia Dortmund didn't sit well with him.He stated: "I saw him for Dortmund for a couple of seasons, and some of the things he did I didn't like at all."Nevertheless, he pointed to Bellingham's Champions League success in his maiden campaign in Spain and his display against Croatia as evidence of his evolution when functioning within a collective framework.Hamann continued: "I wasn't sure about him going to Madrid, but I have got to say the way he made the transition to Madrid and winning the Champions League in his first year, there is huge pressure to perform, and tonight he looked like a team player.Dietmar Hamann has changed his mind on Bellingham(Image: Getty Images)"When he does play for the team, when he does work for his teammates, we know he's an excellent player."Despite being regarded as one of the finest midfielders on the planet, England manager Thomas Tuchel conceded he wasn't a certain starter going into the team's tournament curtain-raiser owing to Morgan Rogers' impressive form.The debate over Bellingham's inclusion in the XI dominated much of the pre-World Cup discourse, with the 22-year-old confessing he relished silencing his critics through his commanding display.He told BBC Sport: "Yeah, for me personally it was nice to put some of the noise aside and just show my country and my teammates how committed I am to helping us try and win football matches. I think it was a great team performance second half."First half, we still got the intensity right, but with the ball, we weren't quite there.
Second half, I think we put it all together nicely, and again, to contribute and help my team, help my country, it's one of the biggest honors. Regardless of the noise outside, that honor doesn't change for me."Bellingham acknowledged he's performing with extra motivation amid ongoing speculation about his role in Tuchel's first XI.
He remarked after the match: "I think I have a little bit of a chip on the shoulder. I know it's part of being a footballer, I don't hold a grudge against anyone who says bad things about me because sometimes I do deserve it.