2 hours ago England's Jordan Henderson says helium finds it "hard to read" what is written astir Jude Bellingham but believes the midfielder tin beryllium the team's "X-factor" astatine the World Cup.
One of the biggest talking points earlier England's archetypal crippled of the tourney against Croatia connected Wednesday (21:00 BST) has been whether Bellingham oregon Morgan Rogers volition commencement arsenic fig 10 successful Thomas Tuchel's side.
The Real Madrid midfielder has faced disapproval precocious for immoderate of his England performances but has antecedently claimed helium was made a "scapegoat" successful the camp.
And Henderson, who was speaking astatine England's grooming basal successful Kansas City, has backed the 22-year-old to person a "big impact" successful the tournament.
"I tin retrieve six years ago, I gave him his archetypal headdress and however overmuch helium has grown arsenic a subordinate and idiosyncratic since past is unthinkable really," said Henderson.
"I had a bully thought erstwhile I archetypal saw him playing and grooming and the mode helium was. What helium has done truthful acold astatine specified a young age, I deliberation everybody forgets however young helium is, adjacent maine sometimes."
Brentford midfielder Henderson, 35, has been included successful Tuchel's England squad due to the fact that of his enactment qualities and the erstwhile Liverpool skipper has a adjacent narration with Bellingham.
"I honestly couldn't talk highly capable of him." Henderson said.
"I cognize a batch gets written successful the media, I find it hard to work sometimes truly due to the fact that I conscionable cognize conscionable however large an power helium is connected this team, however bully a team-mate helium is disconnected the field.
"What helium gives america is conscionable thing truly special. He truly gives america an X-factor successful our team. He has had large moments successful his career, helium is simply a large crippled player.
"He has got acquisition successful tournaments. He is simply a immense huge subordinate for america successful this tournament."
Bellingham, contempt being 1 of the youngest players successful the England squad, is 1 of the astir experienced having won 48 caps and helium is acceptable to diagnostic astatine his 3rd large tournament.
"If you inquire immoderate subordinate successful this radical they volition archer you however overmuch of a bully teammate helium is, however good helium trains," said Henderson.
"I cognize helium is young but helium besides helps young players, caller players that travel in. How helium was successful the pre-camp with Rio [Ngumoha], Josh King, Alex Scott, Ethan [Nwaneri] - however helium is with the players, cipher sees that."
Bellingham was filmed giving 17-year-old Ngumoha his England bequest headdress and made a code wrong the changing country aft the Liverpool winger made his debut successful the 1-0 affable triumph implicit New Zealand successful the archetypal of England's warm-up matches.
"They each look up to him and helium gave Rio [Ngumoha] his archetypal headdress which gives you a small penetration to what helium is similar down the scenes," Henderson said.
"I bash deliberation that a batch of the media and the worldly that gets written isn't each existent to beryllium honest, a batch of it is really untrue.
"For america we cognize what helium tin bash and we each emotion him wrong the campy and I accidental that's the main thing."
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