Jordan Henderson has come out strongly in defence of his England teammate Jude Bellingham, admitting he finds the constant scrutiny of the Real Madrid midfielder “hard to read”. The experienced midfielder believes Bellingham has a rare “X-factor” that could prove decisive for England’s 2026 World Cup campaign in North America.

Backing the 'special' Real Madrid talent

Bellingham has often faced criticism over his on-field behaviour, but Henderson, now a senior figure in Thomas Tuchel’s England setup, insists that public opinions of the 22-year-old are misplaced. The Brentford midfielder maintains that the former Borussia Dortmund player remains central to England’s ambitions.

“I honestly couldn’t speak highly enough of him,” Henderson said. “I know a lot gets written in the media and I find it hard to read sometimes, because I just know how big an influence he is on this team, how good a team-mate he is off the field. What he gives us is just something really special. I think he really gives us the X factor in our team.”

Big-match temperament and leadership in the dressing room

As England prepare for their Group L opener against Croatia on Wednesday, Bellingham is expected to start in the No.10 role, despite competition from Aston Villa’s Morgan Rogers. This will be Bellingham’s fourth major international tournament by the age of 22 — a level of experience Henderson believes will be invaluable to Tuchel’s squad as they compete across the United States, Mexico, and Canada.

“He’s had big moments in his career, he’s a big game player,” Henderson noted. “He’s got experience in tournaments, so he’s a huge, huge player for us in this tournament. I think if you ask any player in the group, they’ll tell you how much of a good team-mate he is, how well he trains. I do think a lot of the media and the stuff that gets written isn’t all true, to be honest, or a lot of it is actually untrue. But for us, we all know what he can do and how much we all love him inside the camp, and I suppose that’s the main thing.”

Bridging the generational gap

At 35, Henderson’s selection for England’s World Cup squad has also drawn its fair share of scepticism. However, Bellingham has returned the support, describing Henderson as the “glue” that binds the team together and dismissing his critics as people who “don’t have a clue what they are talking about.” Henderson, meanwhile, emphasised the strong team culture developed during their warm-weather training camp in Florida, where he observed Bellingham mentoring younger players such as Rio Ngumoha.

“It’s important to make sure the culture and the environment off the pitch is good, of course, but I don’t feel like that’s down to one person,” Henderson explained. “I feel that’s down to everyone. Everybody’s got a role to play and that’s been a big thing for this squad, especially leading up to this tournament, to be a very, very good team-mate whether you’re playing, coming on, not playing.”

Creating a winning environment under Tuchel

With the Three Lions entering the 2026 World Cup as one of the tournament favourites, Henderson believes the team spirit within the camp is stronger than ever. The arrival of Thomas Tuchel as manager has further strengthened the group’s unity during their intense pre-tournament preparations.

“It’s about creating that environment and creating the culture to keep driving each other forward and supporting each other in the right moments,” Henderson said. “I feel as though we’ve done that really well since the manager’s come. It’s grown and got stronger. I’m pretty happy with the place we’re in at the minute, especially after the pre-camp. I think the lads have been excellent over the last two weeks and we’re just looking forward to getting going.”

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