OPINION
Jude Bellingham can do everything, but he should not start for England at World Cup
Jude Bellingham is the full package for England, but their World Cup chances could improve without him in the starting XI.
That is the view of talkSPORT's Hugh Woozencroft, who believes he is capable of being a superstar off the bench next summer instead.
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Aged 22, Bellingham has already become one of the most consistent players for England across the past two tournaments.
He played in all of their 2022 World Cup and Euro 2024 matches, with two crucial goals coming against Serbia and Slovakia in the latter.
Bellingham was not involved in the latest England camp due to injury but is set to return into Thomas Tuchel's thinking later in the year.
With 2026 World Cup qualification all but confirmed, former England international Dean Ashton selected him at no. 10 in his starting XI.
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Where does Bellingham fit in for England?
On Kick Off, he explained: "Ultimately you need players, in my mind, in those biggest of moments, that you think, 'I can rely on him'.
"I think he can handle the pressure the most out of anyone, I think he can, I think he's already shown that. Because, he was really poor at times in the last tournament.
"Yet, in the biggest of moments what he produced, the overhead kick goal [against Slovakia] alone, tells me everything about what he is, what he can do and what he can bring. The only issue is, can he play the role in the way that I think we really need him to?"
But Woozencroft chose Cole Palmer over Bellingham for the no. 10 role, and said: "I think even Morgan Rogers showed us [in the 5-0 win vs Serbia] that that no. 10 role has a sense of discipline around it that.
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"For all of the qualities Jude Bellingham has, he hasn't shown... He can do everything, Jude Bellingham, and he tries to do everything.
"And no one has yet put the discipline into his game to say that, 'If you are going to play as the no. 10, actually what we need you to do is conduct the attack, and we need you to do that as kind of a central attacking pivot.' That's the position.
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"We see him pop up in the left-back area, right-back area, making tackles in the penalty box, he's down the left wing, down the right wing.
"He can do everything, and that's why I'd actually say in the last half an hour of games, in extra time, he's going to be our guy who can impact games really seriously late on.
"Particularly if teams are in the heat of the United States, Mexico, Canada next summer, tired team, he's our guy off the [bench]...
"I actually think there's a really specific role for him to win matches for England, to close them out..."
Ashton also highlighted the importance of playing in the no. 10 role as he said: "Look at our centre-forward, he is pretty unique in the way he's going to play.
"If you do not have a no. 10 that's disciplined, then Harry Kane will come short, will drift... Harry Kane is not going through the middle the whole time, he's not interested in occupying the centre-backs for long periods of time.
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"That is not him, he wants to get involved, his distribution and his ability to pick a pass has always been there, and he'll get in the box.
"So that no. 10 not only has to dictate like you say when he's on the ball but off the ball, he has to be that player that steps into the positions and maybe runs in behind, which Morgan Rogers did a few times.
"Or be able to pick the ball up and dribble and drive through that space that Kane is leaving. There's some complexities around how Harry Kane plays, that that no. 10 is so key to delivering."
However, Ashton still insisted on picking Bellingham for the position, adding: "In those big tournament moments, you're going to need those players, when it gets really tight and tense, and I think he's got that about him."
Wins against Andorra and Serbia during the September international break have boosted England towards next summer's World Cup.
They need five points from their remaining three qualifiers to reach an eighth consecutive tournament.
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Bellingham could remain sidelined until October, and may therefore miss the friendly against Wales and qualifier away to Latvia.
However, the November international break fixtures against Serbia and Albania will offer him a chance to return to form for England.