Jude Bellingham's England issue, why dressing room were glad he left, Real Madrid bust-up

Jude Bellingham is hoping to write another chapter in his already-great career when Los Blancos host in their quarter-final second leg. had a poor showing in the first leg at the Emirates Stadium in which his - and the Englishman admitted after that the 15-time winners were lucky not to have conceded more.

The 21-year-old in his short career has already developed a reputation as a big-game player and a leader on the pitch, capable of popping up with clutch moments for club and country. His 95th minute to keep England in Euro 2024, as well as in his debut season, prove that.

Yet the same big personality that has led some to tout Bellingham as a future England captain has also caused friction in the dressing room on occasion, with the 2023 Golden Boy winner’s passion sometimes spilling over. That was evident in the lead-up to this Wednesday’s Champions League clash with Arsenal when he reportedly with a Real Madrid team-mate.

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will now delve into that incident, as well as the other times Bellingham’s has come under scrutiny and allegedly caused problems behind the scenes.

Dortmund ‘glad to see back’ of Jude

is where Bellingham went from an exceptionally talented 17-year-old to establishing himself as a class player, producing 49 goals and assists in three seasons while narrowly missing out on a Bundesliga title in his final season. Yet, reported that some at the Westfalenstadion were “glad to see the back of him” after his £95million move to Real Madrid.

The report claimed that some of his team-mates had developed a dislike for certain traits he exhibited, such as often basking in the fans’ adoration once the rest of the Dortmund players had departed. It was suggested Bellingham would regularly hang back instead of joining the squad for celebrations and then soak up celebrations by himself.

Another alleged issue was a perceived lack of respect towards team-mates, as well as his choice of language, with one incident where he slammed Nico Schulz against Rangers in 2022 being a high-profile example. Bild claims the midfielder was fast-tracked into Dortmund’s leadership group but some players felt he wasn’t always up to the task of making himself available as a point of contact for his colleagues.

England dressing room problems

While clearly one of England’s most gifted players, has suggested similar issues have followed Bellingham to the Three Lions set-up. It has been suggested that the Birmingham City academy graduate doesn’t have strong connections with the majority of his team-mates, with being an exception.

England legend addressed Bellingham’s apparently individualistic mindset too during Euro 2024, saying that the starlet was showing his frustrations towards team-mates too easily, highlighting his actions against Slovenia as a concern. Having been elevated to the leadership group alongside , and like at Dortmund, Bellingham didn’t step up for certain media duties outside of the obligatory rotation at Euro 2024, while more minor players in the squad did.

"It may be time to grow up, make decisions and say, 'I need to help out and speak during the difficult times,'" wrote Rooney in a column for . "Because if England win these Euros, I'm sure you'll see him doing interviews."

Ugly Real Madrid bust-up

Carlo Ancelotti’s men are hoping to pull off a miraculous comeback against Arsenal on Wednesday. But his side’s preparations were reportedly disrupted by Bellingham’s clash with team-mate Antonio Rudiger during one training session.

Bellingham, who was rested for Real’s visit to Alaves on Sunday, was caught by a heavy tackle from the hard-nosed German defender during a small-sided game in Friday’s training.

According to El Chiringuito, he took exception and angrily confronted Rudiger, allegedly insulting his team-mate before the pair “had to be separated” by other players.

The flashpoint, however, does not appear to have escalated, having been deemed part and parcel of the intense nature of life at a big club, especially before such a high-stakes Champions League night. Both Bellingham and Rudiger are expected to return to the starting XI against Arsenal.

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