Jude Bellingham: “The iconic goal at Euro 2024 will go down in English history”

The clock in the cavernous Arena AufSchalke stadium showed 94 minutes and 34 seconds as Jude Bellingham soared into the air to create an unforgettable moment that will become synonymous with England goals.

England had just 86 seconds to avoid the humiliation of defeat by Slovakia, which will be regarded as as damaging as their defeat by Iceland at Euro 2016.

Failure to do so would certainly mean the end of Gareth Southgate’s term as England coach (this could happen soon, regardless of the team’s fate in Germany) and the start of a wide-ranging investigation into his mysterious absence from Euro 2024.

And then came Bellingham.

In a stroke of genius that will be replayed and talked about for years to come, Bellingham put in a brave display of athleticism and individual skill by beating Slovakia goalkeeper Martin Dubravka with a stunning overhead kick.

Think of David Platt’s acrobatic kick in the dying seconds of extra time against Belgium at the same stage of the round of 16 at Italia 90. Think of Paul Gascoigne’s left-foot dive over Colin Hendry and right-foot volley against Scotland at Wembley during Euro 96 . Think of 18-year-old Michael Owen’s stunning slalom to the roof of Argentina’s net in the round of 16 of the France 98 World Cup.

Bellingham’s goal was at least as valuable as he somehow found the agility to get up and finish Marc Guehi’s header after a grueling 90 minutes where he was again struggling to exert his usual influence on the game.

He turned and mouthed “who else?” to the jubilant England fans. Who else, really?

Bellingham celebrated his 21st birthday on Saturday and has now handed his belated gift to long-suffering, disgruntled England fans.

In those final moments, England fans were silent, accepting defeat while bracing themselves for the toxic treatment that had become the soundtrack of their previous two appearances against Denmark and Slovenia.

Southgate’s name was even booed before kick-off when it was announced. England’s players were booed at half-time – and they would have known something much worse was coming had Slovakia finished off the win.

Instead, those same fans can now say they witnessed one of the most dramatic goals and escapes in recent match history, Bellingham’s goal being England’s first shot on target and its last goal in regulation time at any major tournament.

94 minutes and 34 seconds of torture and numbness may have passed before, but it was worth every second of wait and then some.

There was chaos among the England reserves and defence as Bellingham came under pressure.

Its impact on Slovakia was immediate and profound as their devastated players fell to the pitch in the face of this magic, perhaps knowing the battle was lost, just as it was when Harry Kane scored the winner for England early in extra time.

England were well on their way to a quarter-final clash with Switzerland in Dusseldorf on Saturday.

The hardened neutrals let out gasps of surprise as Bellingham turned around, leaving his teammates behind before striking his signature arms-outstretched pose of joy. These are the moments that great players provide and everyone who witnesses them remembers.

Bellingham’s manager and team-mates formed an orderly line to praise him, and their words were a mixture of admiration, delight and immense relief.

He pulled them out of the abyss by scoring one of the greatest goals in England’s history. Not only because it was proof of his technique and natural talent, but also because it was made when the stakes were very high and the pressure was greatest.

Kane put him in the top bracket, saying: “It was one of the best goals in the history of our country. What a player he is. He got us through the tournament. He works very hard for the team and steps up in the important moments.

Southgate told BBC Radio 5 Live: “With 15 minutes to go you wonder if he’s up but he and Harry Kane are the authors of those moments and that’s why you don’t make changes when people are calling for more changes.

“I have said for a long time that he is doing incredibly well. I think I understand his world better than many people. His world is incredibly different.

“Even though he is only a young man, he has had an incredible impact on us. He’ll say things and react to them like a young man does, but he can also create moments that change big games and that’s what he did here.”

Declan Rice joined in the chorus of praise and added: “It was a big moment for the 21-year-old. It takes a lot of courage to do something like that. People don’t understand what you have to go through to cross the border.

Former England defender Gary Neville added on ITV: “He’s an exceptional player and that goal saved England from an incredible amount of criticism they’ve never seen before and he saved his manager.”

England did not deserve the equaliser. They did not deserve to escape the shame of the criticism that would have been heaped upon them. Make no mistake, this was a shocking performance until Bellingham’s goal.

But when you have players like Bellingham, who do extraordinary things in the biggest moments, the games are never over until they’re over. This was a perfect example of what world class can do.

The last word belongs to Bellingham, who admitted: “It has to be one of my best goals – 30 seconds and we’re out of Euro 2024.

“It’s hard to deny that this is one of the most important moments of my career, but it’s only very important if we win the tournament, so we’ll see in a few weeks.”

England somehow made it to the quarter-finals despite themselves. However, with a player and personality like Bellingham able to do what he did here in Gelsenkirchen, what previously seemed impossible may still be possible.