Soccer Football - Nations League - England Press Conference - St George's Park, Burton upon Trent, Britain - November 12, 2024 England's Taylor Harwood-Bellis during the press conference Action Images via Reuters/Andrew Boyers
BURTON UPON TRENT, England (Reuters) - England's interim boss Lee Carsley often told Taylor Harwood-Bellis, when the centre back was captain of the under-21 team and Carsley was manager, that he would one day make the nation's senior side.
Carsley made good on his word, calling up the Southampton defender for his first senior camp for Group B2 Nations League matches against Greece and Ireland this week.
"To be called up for the first team, it would obviously be a tough ask, with the quality that's in the squad, but he always said if you're playing well at the top level and doing the best you can ... and he stuck to his word and yeah, so I'm really happy," Harwood-Bellis said.
The 22-year-old is already thinking about cementing his spot ahead of permanent manager Thomas Tuchel's Jan. 1 arrival, knowing Tuchel will undoubtedly be watching.
"Think it'd be a big motivation for all the lads, knowing there's a new manager coming in and wanting to keep your spot," Harwood-Bellis said after Tuesday's training session at St. George's Park.
"It's going to be a tough ask to stay in this role and to stay in the senior squad. So that's something that, especially the young lads, will be pushing towards, kind of trying to keep my spot. It's going to be difficult, because the quality and the experience in some of the lads who aren't here is massive."
Carsley was forced to make wholesale changes to his squad after several key players withdrew due to injury.
Trent Alexander-Arnold, Bukayo Saka, Declan Rice, Phil Foden, Jack Grealish, Levi Colwill, Cole Palmer and goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale are all unavailable to face Greece in Athens on Thursday or Ireland at Wembley three days later.
Asked what attributes Harwood-Bellis hopes to show, he said "just being myself, it's the message I've always had, just be yourself, be confident, and just do what you do at your club," he said.
Sports roots run deep in Harwood-Bellis's family. His twin sister Becky played basketball for Team GB. His uncle Steve Bellis is the president of Stockport County, while his dad Martin used to be the club's mascot "Vernon Bear".
"He did it for a long time, it was sad to see him stop doing that, to be fair," Harwood-Bellis said about his dad's match-day job.
His grandad Dave Bellis was a longtime Manchester City season ticket-holder, and when he died in 2019 he was cremated in his sky blue City shirt.
The defender joined City's academy programme when he was six. He made his first team debut in 2019, and has since spent time on loan with Blackburn, Anderlecht, Stoke City, Burnley and Southampton, before joining the latter permanently in the 2024 close season.
His decision to cut his 16-year ties with City was around his desire to play.
"I'm never going to be one wanting to sit on the bench. That's not who I am," Harwood-Bellis said. "I grew up as a kid wanting to play football. There was nothing that I would want to do more than just kick a ball around and actually play on the football pitch.
"So, to go there and to be under the manager (Russell Martin) I am now, and to be with the boys at Southampton, it's brilliant."
Harwood-Bellis captained the England side, coached by Carsley, that won the European Under-21 Championship in 2023.
England are second in their Nations League group with nine points, behind Greece, who have won all four games so far.
Carsley's aim is to help England gain promotion to League A before he returns to managing the Under-21 side.
(Reporting by Lori Ewing; Editing by Toby Davis)
