Football

World Cup 2022: Bellingham explains iconic celebration with Henderson

Jordan Henderson opened the scoring against Senegal in England’s 3-0 Round of 16 win over the African champions and the Liverpool man was assisted by breakout star Jude Bellingham. After Henderson converted, he and Bellingham shared an iconic moment during their shared celebration, which in addition to being mentioned in popular media, has gained cult status as the meme of the World Cup so far.

Bellingham Henderson

Bellingham, who has earned rave reviews for his efforts in England’s midfield, has shared his side of the story behind the celebration. 

It all came about organically after the duo had combined for the opening goal. The 19-year-old pointed to his midfield partner after the strike and welcomed him in his direction. The Liverpool man pressed his forehead with his own approach for what seemed like an eternity. 

England’s second oldest squad member did not hold back and left no option for his younger teammate. The Birmingham youth admitted that he was taken aback by the veteran midfielders’ intensity and was only matching him in the celebration. 

“To be honest he got so, like, close and I was thinking, right, if this is what we are going to do we have to commit, don’t we?

“So I went and he went really hard you know, proper hard, like right there.

“And that’s why my back’s arched like that because I am thinking like he’s proper hard here and he’s proper close.

“So I kind of just had to turn the core on a bit, lean forward and get into a bit of more of a comfortable position. But it was a good moment.

“Something that, you know, lives forever, them kind of celebrations and hopefully, people will be talking about it for a long time.”

 

Liverpool eyeing England’s midfield partners

Bellingham and Henderson have formed a strong midfield partnership in England’s run to the quarter-finals. With Jurgen Klopp eyeing reinforcement to his midfield numbers, the youngster is high up on their list of preferred targets.

A move from Signal Iduna Park to Anfield in the summer of 2023 looks possible, however, it will not be an easy deal to complete as there are several clubs reportedly vying for his services.

In addition to Bellingham, Liverpool are also eyeing the other prong of England’s midfield trident. Declan Rice has impressed with his assured performances, getting Gareth Southgate’s nod ahead of Henderson.

Just like Borussia Dortmund, West Ham will not be comfortable with the sale of their midfield lynchpin. David Moyes’ defensive setup is built around his strengths and the Hammers will demand a premium for his signature. 

Both midfielders have an exciting future ahead of them, however, they will be primarily concerned with the Three Lions’ World Cup bid. Alongside, Argentina, Brazil and France, Southgate’s men are odds on favourites for the silverware. 

The list of aforementioned pretenders will be reduced to three as England takes on the challenge of France in the quarter-finals. Rice missed the Three Lions’ training on Wednesday morning and further updates are awaited on his condition. 


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