England starlet Jude Bellingham urges heartbroken fans 'stick with us' as he boards plane home after World Cup exit
11 December 2022, 16:11 | Updated: 11 December 2022, 16:12
Three Lions hero Jude Bellingham asked England fans to "stick with us" amid fears players would be abused after last night's World Cup exit.
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The hotshot midfielder signed autographs and answered travelling fans' questions before boarding a bus to the airport in Qatar earlier today.
One journalist asked him: "What's your message to the fans?"
Bellingham replied: "Stick with us."
Defender Kyle Walker said he "doesn’t want to see anything like the Euros" in the wake of the 2-1 defeat to France, with Harry Kane's missed penalty an immediate subject of abuse after full-time.
Three Lions stars Marcus Rashford, Bukayo Saka and Jaden Sancho were targeted in the wake of England's Euro 2020 final defeat at Wembley last summer.
.@BellinghamJude tells me that fans should “stick with us” whilst signing autographs for supporters outside the teams hotel in Qatar #Eng #fifaworldcup #Qatar2022 @SkyNews pic.twitter.com/RuXTIM9ArL
— Tyrone Francis (@TJFrancisLive) December 11, 2022
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Walker, who was praised for his work against French talisman Kylian Mbappe, told American outlet FS1: “I think everybody in the country wanted [Kane] to take that penalty.
“I don’t want anything like the Euros. We win together, we lose together. He’s been a fantastic penalty taker for club and country. One penalty doesn’t change that.
“Do I blame him? No, because he has scored so many penalties that have saved me, for club and country.”
Gareth Southgate's side outclassed the French for long stretches, but moments of quality from Olivier Giroud and Aurélien Tchouaméni proved the difference.
Forward Antoine Griezmann's cross for Giroud carved open the England defence, with Kane's penalty miss less than ten minutes later all but sealing the Three Lions' fate.
Speaking to ITV after the game, Gareth Southgate said the players gave their all and deserved more from the game.
He said: "Goals are decisive, but I’ve just said to the players, I don’t think they could have given any more.
"I think they played really well against a top team. There are fine margins, things at both ends that have ended up deciding the game, but the way the players have progressed as a group through this tournament has been fantastic.
"In most of the big moments we were in the right place. We had more shots on goal. But it’s a game of fine margins.”
