Ruud Gullit shuts up utter English nonsense over Real Madrid's Jude Bellingham

Jude Bellingham is constantly criticised back in England and the latest claim over the Real Madrid star is that he isn't friendly enough. That's according to beIN Sports presenter Richard Keys who claims he isn't a popular character in the Three Lions' dressing room and that 'senior players' aren't happy with him.

Keys is the latest of several English pundits and members of the press who have called out Bellingham's supposed bad attitude. He suggested Thomas Tuchel had even made clear that all his players needed to be friends and this was backed up by Scotsman Andy Gray.

Ruud Gullit unlike Keys actually played professional football and quite well. The Dutchman is a Ballon d'Or winner who many regard as one of the best attacking midfielders in the sports history.

Ruud Gullit: Bellingham doesn't need to be 'friends' with his teammates

The legendary Dutchman was bemused by Keys' criticism of Bellingham and explained why his 'friends' comments were nonsensical. The AC Milan icon hit out at this idea of the current era having to be on good terms with their teammates on and off the pitch.

Gullit said in response to Keys (via the televsion broadcaster):

"For the journalists or the players (Bellingham needs to be friends)? Who says that? I have never heard anybody say that. You don't need to be friends; you need to respect each other, that's the only thing. I don't need to be friends with anybody on my team, I don't need to go out with him, I don't need to go to a restaurant, I just need to respect what he does for the team. That's the only thing I want."

He compared how modern day footballers behave in comparison with his time on the pitch:

Nowadays, everybody's a friend. In our days, you would shout at anybody if they didn't do their job. They don't need to be friends." 

The strangest part about Bellingham being questioned about his attitude is that the 22-year-old remains one of England's most important players. He is going to be vital if the Three Lions are to win the World Cup this summer.

Bellingham has starred for his nation since debuting back in late 2020, scoring six goals and providing 10 assists in 46 caps. One of those goals was a sensational overhead kick that ultimately prevented his team from crashing out of Euro 2024 in the last 16 against Slovakia.

The Madrid star continues to shine bright at the Estadio Bernabeu and has been doing his talking on the pitch. He's bagged six goals and four assists in 25 games across competitions this season.

Harry Kane: Bellingham is a leader for England

Who better to turn to for information regarding how the England camp feel about Bellingham than their captain Harry Kane. The Bayern Munich striker has played alongside the Madrid star ever since he earned a call up to the senior team.

Kane discussed the new leadership group within the Three Lions' squad and named Bellingham as one of them. He said (via The Mirror) in November 2025:

“We have some newer leaders coming through, rather than some of the guys like Walks ( Kyle Walker ) and Harry Maguire, who were a big part of the leadership group in the past. We’ve got new ones like Marc and Jude and Bukayo, Dec obviously."

Kane has consistently praised Bellingham and that included during the European Championships in the summer of 2024. He gave a glowing verdict (via OneFootball):

“He's an unbelievable player. He deserves all the praise he is getting at the moment. Just the way he plays and the confidence he plays with, and also the way he affects games. It's important for people playing in these positions to get goals and assists and that is what he does."

If Bellingham is as bad as the English media keep making out, then why is the nation's skipper suggesting he is a "leader" in the dressing room? What team who have concerns about a player's attitude would put such responsibility on a player especially at such a young age?

It's clear that the former Borussia Dortmund midfielder is being given the David Beckham treatment. A Hollywood-esque superstar who is becoming a massive hit in a different country and those back in his homeland probably feel he should be in the Premier League.