I Don’t Want to Dim This Down- Jude Bellingham Described as Key Figure 

Thomas Tuchel defends Jude Bellingham's fiery nature, calling him a "special boy" despite criticism, even from his own mother.

England manager Thomas Tuchel says midfielder Jude Bellingham is a “special boy” despite the fiery behaviour that some, including his own mother, find “repulsive.”

The comments came in the wake of England’s 3-1 defeat to Senegal at the City Ground – Tuchel’s first loss as national team boss.

Tuchel was speaking in an interview with Talksport following the friendly match, where Bellingham drew attention for his visible frustration after a second-half goal was ruled out by VAR.

England were 2-1 down at the time and eventually succumbed to a disappointing defeat.

"I see it can bring mixed emotions. I see this with my parents, with my mum, that she sometimes cannot see the nice, well-educated, well-behaved guy that I see," said Tuchel as per BBC.

“If he smiles, he wins everyone. But sometimes you see the rage, the hunger and the fire and it comes out in a way that can be a bit repulsive, for example, for my mother when she sits in front of the TV. I see that but, in general, we are very happy to have him. He's a special boy."

Fire Must Be Channelled, Not Dimmed

The England boss admitted that Bellingham’s intensity can be overwhelming at times, but he insisted it is a quality the team needs, especially as they prepare for a crucial year building up to the 2026 World Cup.

“I think he brings an edge which we welcome and is needed if we want to achieve big things,” said Tuchel.

“It needs to be channelled towards the opponent and towards our goal, not to intimidate team-mates or be over-aggressive towards team-mates and officials, but always towards the solution, towards winning.

"He has the fire and I don't want to dim this down. He should play with this kind of fire, but the fire comes with some atributes that can intimidate you, maybe even as a team-mate.”

Tuchel acknowledged that Bellingham’s emotional reactions, like the one seen against Senegal, can be explosive. Still, he emphasised the 21-year-old Real Madrid star’s character and potential.

"You sometimes see the explosion towards referees and the anger in his game. If he can channel this in the right way, and we can help him with this, then for sure he has something we need and a certain edge that is hard to find. He's a nice kid, very open, very intelligent and he's been very easy [to manage] so far."

Searching for Spark and Chemistry

The Senegal defeat followed a game where Tuchel made ten changes to the starting XI that beat Andorra, with only captain Harry Kane keeping his place.

While England remain top of Group K with nine points from three World Cup qualifiers, Tuchel admitted that the team still lacks a spark.

"I am trying now at the moment and still we feel we are lacking the enthusiasm and the joy consistently on the international level," he said.

"I can just underline that the individual has to take a step back for the greater good. It's on us to find the right mixture, the right team, the right chemistry and the right connections in the team that they enjoy to play with each other. We haven't done this yet."

The former Chelsea manager believes more cohesion will come with time, particularly in the lead-up to September, when England face Andorra and Serbia in their next qualifiers.

"The first camp was a step in the right direction, the second camp was a bit of a mixture. We come to September, October and November, where by nature it gets more competitive and more straightforward in selection and the tone because we enter a World Cup year."