Let's talk about Jude Bellingham

You don’t need to be an avid football fan to know that the UEFA European Football Championship (or, simply put, the Euros) are currently happening in Germany. It is a time of celebration, of good old country rivalries, and a time for people to come together and shout at their TV screens.

As England have managed to qualify for the quarterfinals by the edge of their teeth, the star of the moment is one man and one man only – Jude Bellingham. Even before scoring a spectacular, bicycle kick equaliser in the 95th minute that sent England to extra time and subsequently, helped them win the game, he has been the poster boy of the tournament.

So what exactly is the difference between a football player and a world star sensation like Jude? What was it that turned Jude Bellingham from Jude Bellingham, the promising football player, to Jude Bellingham, this generation’s David Beckham?

Is it just that he is that good of a football player? (which, don’t get me wrong, he absolutely is!)

Is it his good looks?

Is it the fact that he genuinely seems like a nice person?

Or is it his general aura - the energy he emanates both on and off the pitch? Many have been impressed with how much of a leadership attitude he has been displaying at only 21 years of age, as well as his confident and charming behaviour that he exhibits in interviews.

With great success and appreciation, though, comes a lot of hate and criticism. Whilst in England (and certainly in Madrid as well), you can walk into any pub and people will be worshipping the ground Jude walks on, if you go on social media channels such as Twitter or Reddit, the discussions are quite different. There’s no denial that the love for the man is still there, but sometimes it is drowned out by the hateful comments.

Hiding behind a social media profile is easy – Twitter users are calling Jude Bellingham arrogant, entitled, and generally a prick. But is there any proof to back those claims?

The short answer is no; there isn’t.

It’s easy to guess why people on the internet hate Jude Bellingham – he is young, successful, and a seemingly lovely person. As an old saying goes: “Jealousy is the tribute mediocrity pays to genius.”.

Bellingham is not the first celebrity to fall victim to internet haters and he most certainly won't be the last, but it begs the questions: has the disconnect between social media and "real life" reached such high levels that a person can be fully celebrated and loved in public, whilst being criticised and hated online? And an even more important questions is: how can somebody like Jude Bellingham, still so young in age even though he has achieved so much, turn a blind eye to the hate and continue to prosper?

Jude has already made his mark on the football world. From winning both La Liga and the Champions League trophies in his first year at Real Madrid, to tapping in several crucial last minute goals, to now scoring what is probably one of the most important goals in English football history, it is frightening to think what else he has in store in the upcoming years. At the pace at which he is going, the sky truly is the limit.

Coming from an England supporter, and generally a football one, I truly hope that Jude Bellingham’s already impressive career only continues to flourish, and I think it’s safe to say that he’s just getting started.