Jude Bellingham admits England’s stars are fatigued after a long season but will “give it everything” to win Sunday’s Euro 2024 final against Spain.
Gareth Southgate’s side booked their place in Berlin with another late show as substitute Ollie Watkins scored in the last minute to complete a 2-1 comeback victory over the Netherlands on Wednesday night.
Bellingham himself scored an overhead kick deep into added time to rescue a draw against Slovakia in the round of 16 with captain Harry Kane’s extra-time header taking England through.
They then needed a fine Bukayo Saka effort to level against Switzerland before advancing through a tight quarter-final on penalties, then Watkins’ heroics secured back-to-back Euros finals after Kane’s penalty cancelled out a fierce Xavi Simons strike.
“We live to fight another day, another late goal,” said Bellingham.
“It would be nice to score first at some point and have that peace of mind but when you know that you have players coming off the bench or in the starting XI that are going to go right to the end, it really doesn’t matter.
“I’m really happy, really proud of the boys. The reaction, again, the attitude, the mentality, quality is one thing, but those kind of characteristics you can’t learn every day in training.
“You get it from experience and from each other and I’m really proud that it’s rubbing off on each other.”
“We know we’re always in the game, we know we’re going to fight with each other till the end and the rewards come if you do the right things and we did that tonight.
“At the start of the tournament, you look at, after a long season, seven games. I think that’s the way I’ve approached it. Each game it’s gone by whether it’s positive or negative, it’s one more down till we get to Berlin.
“Now it’s one more game and we’re tired, it’s been a long season, but it’s one more last push for our country, for our families, for each other and for history, really. So we’ll give it everything.”
Victory in Sunday’s final would cap a remarkable campaign for Bellingham, who won a LaLiga and Champions League double in his first season at Real Madrid, where he was also named player of the year in Spain’s top flight.
“What a season,” he told BBC Radio 5Live.
“My old club (Borussia Dortmund) in the Champions League final and then the country that I play in in the European Championship final.
“So, a weird one, obviously I know a lot of the players well, they have had an amazing tournament. But I’m always confident in the ability and the characters that we have in our changing room, so it’ll be interesting game to go toe to toe with them.”
