One of Gareth Southgate’s greatest talents since taking over as England manager eight years ago has been the ability to bring together a previously divided side.
England’s ‘Golden Generation’ of the 2000s have often confessed that there were cliques in camp when they got together, with club loyalty getting in the way of developing team spirit.
That is no longer a concern for the Three Lions, as everyone appears to be on the same page, especially with the bromance forming between Jude Bellingham and Trent Alexander-Arnold.
The pair, who have both been linked with model girlfriends, with Bellingham reportedly linked with 25-year-old Dutch influencer Laura Celia Valk, and Alexander-Arnold, 25, dating British actor Jude Law’s daughter, Iris, 23, have been inseparable at the Euros, and their bond is only growing stronger on the pitch.
They started together in England’s midfield for their opening Euro 2024 game against Serbia on Sunday, and Bellingham was the hero of the show, scoring the only goal to give his team all three points.
Jude Bellingham (right) and Trent Alexander-Arnold (left) revealed their new celebration on Sunday, and their bromance is developing at Euro 2024.
Bellingham reportedly has a connection with Dutch influencer Laura Celia Valk (pictured).
Iris Law and Alexander-Arnold cosied up during a racy photoshoot for Guess, following months of romantic rumours.
Alexander-Arnold is dating Jude Law’s daughter, Iris (above), who is also an actor.
Both men knelt down on one knee and covered their faces with their hands. Bellingham later revealed that it was a reference to the game Wolf, often known as Werewolf, which is a popular pastime among the England squad.
It is a card game that demands deception and strategic thinking. It is based on Dimitry Davidoff’s 1986 roleplaying game Mafia, which is thought to have inspired the hit BBC One show The Traitors.
Bellingham told the BBC, ‘When we play Wolf, one of the staff loves that face when he doesn’t know what is going on, so that was a small collective celebration for the Wolf crew.
However, the couple has been working on more choreography than just their celebration. Ahead of England’s match against Serbia, Bellingham and Alexander-Arnold were spotted honing a new amusing handshake ritual, leaving defender Ezri Konsa smiling in the background.
A video released online shows the couple shaking hands, pointing their fingers upwards, and then taking turns blowing on their hands as if trying to extinguish a flame.
England’s players have been playing Wolf since the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, when fans first saw Bellingham and Alexander-Arnold’s friendship.
Bellingham and Alexander-Arnold were observed developing a new handshake in training, while Ezri Konsa watched in the background.Bellingham and Alexander-Arnold went for a stroll together in Qatar, with supporters believing the Liverpool player was trying to encourage Jude to join him at Anfield.
Liverpool and Real Madrid appeared to be in pole position to recruit him, and some supporters believed Alexander-Arnold was trying to persuade Bellingham to join Anfield when the two went for a stroll together in Qatar.
Alexander-Arnold said he was ‘simply going out with a pal’, but he was dubbed ‘Agent Trent’, and the two players were seldom far apart during England’s stint in the Middle East.
They were photographed together again just a few months after the tournament ended, at a Chris Brown concert.
But if Alexander-Arnold was attempting to persuade his pal to join Liverpool, he eventually failed. Bellingham selected Real Madrid, and it couldn’t have worked out better, with the attacking midfielder winning La Liga and the Champions League in his debut season.
And now the tables may have turned, with fans accusing Alexander-Arnold of ‘flirting’ with Madrid after picking two of their club legends as his ideal dinner guests.
After selecting Liverpool legend Steven Gerrard, the right back-turned midfielder added Zinedine Zidane and Cristiano Ronaldo to his shortlist.
The couple were virtually inseparable at the 2022 World Cup, and this hasn’t changed since.
Bellingham eventually went on to join Real Madrid, and was a great hit, winning LaLiga and the Champions League in his debut season with the club.
If that is the case, Bellingham may be speaking to him in Germany, and the two men have undoubtedly spent a lot of time together in training.
Ahead of England’s match against Serbia, Bellingham and Alexander-Arnold were spotted honing a new amusing handshake ritual, leaving defender Ezri Konsa smiling in the background.
They were then all grins as they shared a joke on the training pitch before performing admirably in England’s opener in Gelsenkirchen.
Bellingham dominated the game, while Alexander-Arnold demonstrated why Southgate wants him in his team, despite playing in an unfamiliar midfield position. Of course, the night was rounded out by their eye-catching celebration.
They reproduced it in training on Tuesday, with teammate midfielder Declan Rice acting as photographer to catch the occasion, and if either man scores against Denmark on Thursday, we are certain to see the celebration again.
The pair repeated their celebration from the Serbia game in training on Tuesday.
Alexander-Arnold’s ability to play in midfield against top-level opponents has been called into question, but Bellingham defended his teammate after Sunday’s defeat, claiming ‘people speak a lot of crap’.
Southgate must decide whether to continue with Alexander-Arnold. If he does, we may expect Bellingham and Alexander-Arnold’s collaboration to improve even further, as they are clearly on the same page.
