Still work to do, says Jude Bellingham

Jude Bellingham was pleased with how England executed their game plan in the Three Lions’ 2-0 win over Albania to get new head coach Thomas Tuchel off to a winning start in his first game.

Tuchel’s side struck either side of the break in their European qualifier for the 2026 FIFA World Cup in front of a packed-out Wembley and Bellingham was upbeat about the performance.

“I think we had clear ideas on what we wanted to do and how we wanted to play,” said Bellingham. “We tried to stick to that as much as possible. I know it's difficult when you play against a team that sits so low and is so compact.

“At times the game takes you a different direction. You want to get on the ball and move them around but generally we stuck to the plan really well. We had a really good week of training and it's a good way to start the new era.”

The Real Madrid midfielder played his part in England’s opening goal. Myles Lewis-Skelly became the youngest player to score on his debut for the Three Lions, set up by Bellingham just 20 minutes into the game.

“It was a really good run and I managed to find the path of the run,” explained Bellingham. “He finished it really well and I'm really happy for him.

“An amazing first game and a really nice and well-taken first game and a win. He'll never forget it and we're really happy for him.

“When you come into the team, there are a lot of lads to help you. We hope that for him, he only has to worry about his own head and own coolness and obviously he has plenty of that. We wanted to do what we could to help him enjoy it and I think he did.”

However, the 21 year old identified a number of key areas Tuchel’s team need to work on ahead of Monday night’s clash against Latvia which takes place on home turf back at Wembley Stadium.

“Keeping the rhythm, keeping the tempo and being more clinical,” asserted Bellingham. “I had a couple but the goalie made some brilliant saves but it'd be nice to finish off these games at home early.

“There's still so much to work on. The more we play together, the more we stick together as a group and the more we'll learn and the better we'll get over time.”