The young midfielder, 19, has established himself as a significant member of the national squad and has competed in two big tournaments with a quality and maturity that belies his young age.
Only a knee ailment has kept the England star from adding to his 24 caps under Southgate in the upcoming Euro 2024 qualification doubleheader against Malta and North Macedonia.
Jude Bellingham praises Gareth Southgate in great detail.
Bellingham told the PA news agency, "I think Gareth has done an incredible job of easing me in. "I believe that England as a nation is renowned for, if you like, getting a little carried away with players and teams.
"You know, they like to put individuals under a lot of strain right away. I think I'm beginning to understand it now.
And while I do think I can handle it, Gareth is also aware that managing it is a requirement of his work.
"I think he's doing an amazing job of managing the expectation around us with myself and the other young players, like Bukayo (Saka), Phil (Foden), and Marcus (Rashford)," the player said.
"If that means that we are eased into things or that we don't play every game, then so be it. But now that I play in the majority of the games and feel like I'm having an influence, I think my position on the squad is incredibly pleasurable.
Bellingham has only played in eight of his 24 matches for England so far, but he likes Southgate's strategy.
The midfielder also thinks the group's experienced players complement the manager's approach. He was speaking in his capacity as a McDonald's Fun Football ambassador, a program that provides free and inclusive football coaching for children aged five to 11 across more than 1,500 locations in the UK.
They're eager to relieve us of the load, Harry Kane and Hendo [Jordan Henderson], you know," Bellingham
"H is the one person we looked to as soon as the penalty was called, and he has earned that kind of respect by performing admirably in crucial situations.
In terms of my teammates looking to me to deliver for them, similar to how they occasionally do at Dortmund, that is the kind of level I want to reach.
I constantly consider how I can benefit the squad, and if that means taking the lead, so be it.
When Bellingham was asked if there was any question that Kane would take the field and convert his crucial penalties in the World Cup defeat against France months earlier, he responded, "Exactly.
Jude Bellingham represents the McDonald's Fun Program.
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