Soccer Football - Euro 2024 - Round of 16 - England v Slovakia - Arena AufSchalke, Gelsenkirchen, Germany - June 30, 2024 England's Jude Bellingham celebrates after Harry Kane scores their second goal REUTERS/Lee Smith
GELSENKIRCHEN, Germany (Reuters) - England's Jude Bellingham was not only proud to score a last-gasp bicycle kick equaliser to help rescue his side from Euro 2024 elimination in their last-16 clash with Slovakia but also to silence what he thinks are unjustified critics of the team.
England seemed unable to get a foothold against a relentless Slovakia outfit who took the lead with an Ivan Schranz strike on the counter in the 25th minute, but Bellingham's effort took the match to extra time, with Harry Kane heading home for a 2-1 win.
"In international football, in knockout football, it's even a worse feeling because you're 30 seconds from going home and have to listen to all the rubbish, feeling like you've let a nation of people down," Bellingham told a press conference.
"But in 30 seconds, one kick to the ball and everything can change... It's a feeling that I never want and I don't like to be in. But when it's done, it feels great.
"Playing for England is an enjoyable feeling but it's also a lot of pressure. People talk a lot of rubbish and it's nice that, when you deliver, you can give them a little bit back," the player of the match added in Gelsenkirchen on Sunday
"It's very difficult to come to these press conferences and interviews and talk as openly as footballers want to because we're always judged.
"And, for me, playing football and being on the pitch, scoring goals, celebrating it's how I release, it's maybe a message to a few people."
Bellingham did not think it was his best ever goal but said it was one of his most emotional moments on a pitch. He believed England had "in general a good performance" and was proud of their character when they had their backs against the wall.
"I think in knockout football, when you can produce a moment like that and everyone kind of looks around at each other and realises that's the spirit we actually have got in that team, it can help a lot," Bellingham said.
"Playing for England should be one of the most proud things of footballer's career. But often at times it's quite difficult, there's really high intense pressure, the fans expect a lot from us regardless of kind of what happened in recent tournaments years and years ago.
"So people talk a lot and I think you do have to take it personally a little bit. I do. We work so hard and sometimes it doesn't go well. Sometimes it feels like there's a bit of a pile-on (from critics) and you can always use it. And for moments like that it's nice to kind of throw it back to some people ..."
(Reporting by Fernando Kallas; Editing by Ken Ferris)
