Kane & Bellingham’s Success Spells a Bright Future For England
In recent years, England’s national team has become defined by many things – mainly a disdain for silverware. Another curious constant was reluctance to play abroad at club level. Many argued this was because our league was the best in the world, so why should our boys elope to sunny Spain or play deep behind enemy lines in Germany?
Realistically, however, it came down to money. The Premier League has always commanded the highest viewership figures out of Europe’s top leagues, leading to better TV deals and absurd salaries. An average player would, therefore, take a pay cut to move abroad, which, combined with the hassle of attempting to learn a new language (never our forte), made it more trouble than it was worth.
That’s not to say it didn’t happen. England first-teamers like Linekar, Hargreaves, Owen, Beckham, Gascoigne and McManaman plied their trade abroad over the last thirty years – albeit with varying degrees of success. None of them, however, got anything close to Kane and Bellingham’s electric starts for their new clubs.
Kaneing it
Eight goals and three assists for Kane in six games, all while adjusting to a new team and league, is deeply impressive. I wouldn’t, however, go so far as to describe it as a surprise. Anyone who watched England’s captain languish in a patchy Spurs team for a decade knows his ability to shine in sub-optimal conditions.
Being positioned as the spearhead of an increasingly lethal Munch side would only sharpen his game. What’s impressive is his ability to start delivering the goods immediately. No teething problems, no adjusting, just solid performances from the start.
Perhaps it’s no surprise Bayern are second favourites to win the Champions League. Should they succeed, it may be the only time England fans would relish watching the German giants triumph. Even diehard Arsenal / Chelsea supporters surely couldn’t resist the allure of England’s captain finally getting his hands on his first major piece of silverware.
Hey Jude
I’m not afraid to say Bellingham’s performances are even more impressive. While Kane’s early success can be largely boiled down to technical mastery and experience, Bellingham has almost instantly become a leader at the world’s most successful club within six games and at the tender age of 20.
The stats, in themselves, are worth gawping at. Seven goals, two assists, and a 90% pass completion rate make the £88.5 million splashed on him seem like the steal of the century – especially considering he’s only eight games in.
More interesting, though, is the nature of the performances. Driving from midfield, Ancelotti’s decision to deploy him in a more advanced position has unleashed his attacking prowess. Two of his goals have come in the dying minutes of games, as he rescued subpar performances, effectively hauling them to the top of the La Liga table.
Character, grit, determination. Whatever overused football vocab you want to use, Bellingham has it, and up until now, England didn’t.
What does it mean for England?
A trophy or two would be nice. Alongside Saka - everyone's favourite smiling superstar - the trio of world-class players at our disposal fit nicely into three vital attacking roles. Now, it would be easy to start getting carried away here. Previous years have shown us that great individual players don’t always form a cohesive, well-oiled machine and how high expectations can lead to bruising falls from grace.
With England’s key players almost exclusively playing in the Premier League, Kane and Bellingham’s exposure to different leagues, footballing ideologies and opponents might expand the breadth of experience and provide the cutting-edge needed. Or we’ll come up short again, and everyone will say they knew it would happen. We’ll see.
