Has Jude Bellingham been ‘put off playing in the Premier League’? English clubs get transfer warning as Shaun Wright-Phillips backs dad Ian’s comments on Real Madrid superstar

Bellingham stepped out of his comfort zone when leaving boyhood club Birmingham for German giants Borussia Dortmund in 2020. He is now a ‘Galactico’ at Santiago Bernabeu with La Liga and Champions League titles to his name.

The 22-year-old has also earned 46 senior caps for his country, becoming a talismanic presence for England, but continues to attract criticism for supposed character flaws - with Thomas Tuchel having previously admitted that his mother finds some of Bellingham’s on-field antics “repulsive”.

While some have been quick to knock Bellingham down, others continue to talk him up. Arsenal legend Ian Wright sits in that camp, with the former England striker claiming that some people are not “ready for a black superstar” before going on to say that Bellingham’s potential “frightens these people because of his capability and the inspiration he can give”.

Wright-Phillips stands by those comments from his father and admits that a global superstar may start to ask questions of whether he ever wants to play club football in his homeland again.

The Premier League title winner told BestBettingSites: “If I was Jude Bellingham, I think it could put me off from playing in the Premier League, definitely. In England we seem to target a player ahead of a big tournament, like they’re dying to break one of them down.

“I’ve just never understood why. You want your players going into a tournament full of confidence. Arrogant, almost. You want them knowing and thinking they can win. The press should big them up, help them, not tear them down like this. The press causes problems and puts doubts in their head, and changes the way they think.

“I think if you change a player’s personality, you change how they play. That’s not always good. Far from it. I think the players need to just concentrate on what they're doing. So if I was Jude, why would I come back when I can stay at Real Madrid and enjoy life at the same time, without bad press that comes for no reason.

“I think he’s the go-to man for England, and I sometimes do not understand why he is in the crosshairs. He’s not perfect, but he’s performing well for club and country. It’s not like he has some huge arrogant attitude, or plays badly. They should leave him be and let him prepare mentally.”

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Amid reports of Bellingham potentially being left out of England’s 2026 World Cup squad, Wright-Phillips added on the problem that Tuchel faces when it comes to getting so many creative talents into his team: “My approach would be first of all to tell the players that this is England, so there’s no shame around being a substitute for the team at the World Cup. It’s about getting the best team out on the pitch, not necessarily all your best players.

“I feel like England miss a maverick at the moment. They need a creative No.10, someone who creates something from nothing, and the closest to that is Cole Palmer. Then I’d pick two wingers, maybe [Marcus] Rashford, [Jarrod] Bowen or [Bukayo] Saka.

“But if not Palmer, then [Phil] Foden and [Morgan] Rogers are great options. At eight, you have Bellingham and then Declan Rice at six, with Elliot Anderson ready to come in for him. Bellingham has the running power, as does Declan, so they can both be up and down on the pitch. Then you have your players ahead of those two to just terrorise the opposition. You need a back four who can stop the counters. England have so much potential. I don’t think it matters too much whether it’s Foden or Palmer in that role, as long as the team is set up properly.”

England, with Bellingham still very much part of the fold for now, will discover their initial 2026 World Cup opponents when the group stage draw takes place on Friday - with Tuchel preparing to piece together plans for another shot at global glory.