Thomas Tuchel urges 'special' Jude Bellingham to channel his 'fire' after VAR fury during England's defeat to Senegal
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Published 11/06/2025 at 23:01 GMT+1
Thomas Tuchel has heaped praise on midfielder Jude Bellingham following his first defeat as manager of England. "He's a special boy," Tuchel said after the 3-1 friendly loss at home to Senegal at the City Ground. The German has insisted Bellingham needs to channel his "fire" to find his best game, though, as the Real Madrid star now prepares for the FIFA Club World Cup in the United States.
'Not with the fear to lose' - Tuchel on how he wants his England team to play
Video credit: SNTV
Thomas Tuchel was likely left with more questions than answers following England’s shock defeat on Tuesday night.
The Three Lions slumped to a 3–1 loss in a friendly at home to Senegal to mark the German’s first defeat since taking over as manager in January 2025.
It was a much-changed side from the one which beat Andorra just days before in qualification for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Though Tuchel's plans are not yet in stone, one thing does seem clear: Jude Bellingham is central to his vision.
"I think he has a certain something," Tuchel said in an interview with talkSPORT.
"I think he brings an edge, which we welcome and which is needed if we want to achieve big things."
The Senegal defeat was the first match Bellingham had not started during England’s new era under Tuchel.
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Having featured from the start in wins over Albania, Latvia and Andorra throughout the year, the Real Madrid star was left on the bench at the City Ground as the likes of Declan Rice, Conor Gallagher and Anthony Gordon held up the midfield.
Bellingham eventually came on as a substitute in the second half and thought he had pulled England back level. However, his 84th-minute strike was ruled out by VAR for handball.
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Bellingham joins first training session with Borussia Dortmund
Video credit: SNTV
His temper flared at the decision — as it often does — and Tuchel believes that needs to be harnessed in order to get the best out of him.
"The edge needs to be channelled towards the opponent, towards our goal and not to intimidate teammates, or to be over aggressive to teammates or referees.
"He has the fire. I don’t want to dim this down. He should play with this kind of fire - that’s his strength.
"But the fire comes also with some attributes that can intimidate you, maybe even as a teammate.
"You see sometimes the explosion towards referees and the anger in his game, so if he can channel this in the right way, and we can help him in this, then for sure he has the something that we need.
"He has a certain edge that is hard to find. I see that it can create mixed emotions.
"I see this with my parents, with my mum that she sometimes cannot see the nice and well-educated and well-behaved guy that I see and the smile.
"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."
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Tuchel now has three months to digest these post-season international performances, with his England side next in action in September.
The Three Lions will face Andorra at Wembley before travelling to Serbia in their quest to qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
They are in a commanding position to book their place at the tournament, currently leading qualification Group K by four points. Next year’s showpiece is being held across Canada, Mexico and the United States.
Tuchel will also no doubt have an eye on this year’s FIFA Club World Cup, which is also being hosted by the United States and set to feature several England stars, including Bellingham, Harry Kane and Cole Palmer.
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