Drop Jude Bellingham! England tipped to bench Real Madrid superstar as Alan Shearer explains how to bring the best out of Harry Kane at 2026 World Cup

In a move that has stunned many supporters, Shearer has claimed that Bellingham should not be in the starting line-up for England's World Cup opener.

Despite Bellingham's status as one of the best players in world football, Shearer argues that Aston Villa's Morgan Rogers is currently the better fit for the team's tactical balance.

Speaking at the launch of Betfair’s World Cup campaign, Shearer stated: "Jude doesn’t start the first game for me. I think Thomas will go with what has done well for him in England games: (Elliot) Anderson and Declan Rice [at the base of midfield], and then Morgan Rogers ahead of them. I would expect him to go with those three. That’s what I would do."

The primary reason for Shearer’s controversial selection is the need to maximise the output of captain Kane. The Newcastle icon believes that England struggled in previous tournaments because they lacked players willing to make runs beyond the striker, something he feels Rogers excels at better than the current crop of creative midfielders.

Shearer explained the tactical necessity of this change, saying: "We didn’t see the best of Kane in the last tournament a couple of years ago and I think to get the best out of Harry, as we’ve seen in that Bayern Munich team this season, you need players running past him and getting beyond him."

He added: "He is brilliant at coming deep to get the ball and then playing those passes himself, but you have to have players going beyond him, and we didn’t quite have that. If England are going to do well in this tournament, they have to get the best out of Harry."

Shearer's proposed midfield trio includes Elliot Anderson, who has seen his stock rise significantly since leaving St James' Park. While it was difficult for the former Newcastle captain to see the youngster depart his boyhood club, he admits the move has been the making of the midfielder, who now looks ready to partner Rice on the biggest stage of all.

Discussing the Nottingham Forest man, Shearer noted: "Anderson’s gone on another three or four levels since leaving Newcastle. As much as it hurt, and as hard as it was when he left Newcastle, I think it’s certainly helped him feel a huge part of being really important in that team. He’s a wonderful talent and he’s only going to get better."

While the focus remains on Bellingham, Shearer also touched upon the difficulty Tuchel faces with the abundance of talent in the number 10 position. With Phil Foden and Cole Palmer also battling for minutes, the competition is fiercer than ever.

Addressing the competition, he said: "We’re in such a very, very good position in the No 10s. Certainly one, maybe even two really, really talented players have to be left out. Phil Foden hasn’t been playing on a regular basis, therefore you can’t be doing well. We all know the talent he has. He’s just had an off season by his own very, very high standards. He’s incredibly talented but we haven’t seen it enough this season."