PIERS MORGAN HAMMERS JUDE BELLINGHAM IN NO HOLDS BARRED ENGLAND RANT LIVE ON AIR

Piers Morgan has slammed Jude Bellingham as well as several other England stars ahead of their quarter-final with Switzerland.

The TV presenter unloaded on national team talisman Bellingham during an explosive rant in which the 59-year-old bizarrely branded England players as "neutered, terrified snails". Speaking to Alan Brazil and Dean Saunders on talkSPORT, Morgan pummelled Gareth Southgate's team while singling out Bellingham, Harry Kane and Phil Foden for fierce criticism.

It's no secret that England have struggled at Euro 2024 so far but despite making the quarter-finals, thanks to a spectacular last-gasp equaliser from Real Madrid man Bellingham, Morgan has accused England's number ten of playing like a "turkey". He also mocked the former Dortmund man's post match interviews and social media activity.

"Jude Bellingham is one of the world's greatest players right now." Morgan said. "What's he been doing over the last few days? Rather than having a little bit of calm like 'I get it guys, I've not been playing anywhere near where I was playing for Real Madrid last season', he's on instagram posting Theodore Roosevelt speeches about the man in the arena like he's somehow gone to war and he's been singled out and targeted for unnecessary criticism."

Morgan was referring to Bellingham's post on the social media platform in which he quoted a Theodore Roosevelt speech as well as his post-match interview where the midfielder claimed that “People talk a lot of rubbish" and that "it’s nice, when you deliver, you can give them a little bit back." In response to Bellingham's defensive comments following the late show against Slovakia, Morgan claimed the 21-year-old needed to up his game and insisted that his peformances start to match those that he put in for his club last season as Madrid went on to win the Champions League.

"No Jude, you've been playing like a turkey for the last three games and you need to step up and need to be the Jude Bellingham which was ripping teams apart in La Liga for Real Madrid." Morgan said. However, the broadcaster did not just reserve his razor sharp barbs for Bellingham.

Launching into his fiery triade, Morgan lambasted Kane, Foden, Declan Rice and Bukayo Saka. "It's been shocking," he said. "Let's remind ourselves, Harry Kane, best player in the Bundesliga, Jude Bellingham, best player in La Liga, Phil Foden, best player in the Premier League, why are we playing the way we're playing?

"These are the best players in Europe. They've won all the awards for their leagues but they're playing like a bunch of neutered, terrified snails."

Morgan seemed utterly baffled by the England team's apparent inability to translate what they do on the training field onto the pitch come match day. The former Good Morning Britain host also declared that if the players used their "energy" on playing to their "potential" instead of defending themselves on social media, and in post-match interviews, then they would win Euro 2024.

"I'm very struck by a little interview Phil Foden's given where he says it's not Southgate's problem," Morgan said. "But in training he's telling them to press further up, be higher up the pitch, move it at a faster tempo, so why aren't they doing it?

"I've watched the last three games, honestly if they spent as much energy this team as they do at criticising people who criticise them, if they spent that energy on the pitch, working out how to play to their potential in this tournament, we could win this at a canter."

Morgan was perplexed as to how players such as Kane and Foden were unable to convert their club form over to the tournament. He also tore into Arsenal stars Saka and Rice even asserting there was something "wrong" with the current set-up of England players.

"Harry Kane, you are the best centre forward in the world so why aren't you playing like it? Phil Foden, you were terrorising everybody for Manchester City, what has happened to you? And I won't spare my guys, Saka and Declan Rice, two of my favourite players in the world, not playing anything like the quality or tempo they played for Arsenal last season," the ex-Britain's Got Talent judge said.

He then added: "So there is something inherently wrong with the players, now we can blame Southgate until the cows come home, but the bottom line is these are world class players and it doesn't really matter what mix we put on the pitch."

Morgan claimed he would make changes to England's starting line-up for their crucial encounter with the Swiss but insisted the blame lies at the player's feet regardless of who makes the first eleven: "I personally would definitely start with (Cole) Palmer, I think he's got to start against Switzerland. But whatever line-up we have, let's make these players be accountable."

2024-07-05T06:05:03Z dg43tfdfdgfd