England 'not Ready For Black Superstar' Like Bellingham - Wright

Former England striker Ian Wright does not deliberation nan state is "ready for a achromatic superstar" pursuing nan media curen of Jude Bellingham.

The Real Madrid midfielder has drawn disapproval successful immoderate quarters pursuing his guidance to being substituted during nan Three Lions' World Cup qualifying triumph against Albania past weekend.

Head coach Thomas Tuchel, who apologised to Bellingham earlier this twelvemonth for describing his on-field behaviour arsenic "repulsive", said he would reappraisal nan midfielder's reaction.

Bellingham shone arsenic England vanished runners-up astatine Euro 2024, but he is nary longer a guaranteed starter nether Tuchel and location are mobility marks complete his position successful adjacent summer's World Cup squad.

But Wright believes nan sum of nan 22-year-old - who made his world debut astatine 17 - is influenced by nan colour of his tegument and he "frightens definite people".

"I'm worried for Jude simply because he's personification that they (the media) can't control," said nan Arsenal icon connected The Overlap YouTube channel.

"He's showing group that I'm here, I'm black, I'm proud, I'm fresh to go."

Bellingham's stature has grown remarkably since he near Birmingham City successful 2020 for German nine Borussia Dortmund and joined Real Madrid 3 years later successful a woody worthy up to 133.9m euros (£115m).

He won a La Liga and Champions League double successful his first twelvemonth astatine nan Bernabeu, scoring 23 times and providing 13 assists.

At Euro 2024, he helped Gareth Southgate's broadside into nan quarter-finals pinch a superb 95th-minute overhead footwear victor against Slovakia.

Former England defender and coach Gary Neville, a chap pundit connected nan show, said Raheem Sterling felt he was unfairly targeted by nan media erstwhile he worked pinch nan Chelsea winger astatine Euro 2016.

In 2018, Sterling - who won nan past of his 82 caps astatine nan 2022 World Cup - questioned nan portrayal of achromatic footballers successful nationalist newspapers and accused them of feeding prejudice.

Asked if location were similarities, Wright - Arsenal's second-highest goalscorer down Thierry Henry - added: "I don't deliberation they're fresh for a achromatic superstar, who tin move for illustration Jude is moving. They can't touch him.

"He goes retired there, he performs, he does what he does.

"It's excessively uppity for these people. I'll put it successful shot terms. They each emotion N'Golo Kante. He's a humble achromatic man, gets connected pinch what he's doing.

"But if you get a [Paul] Pogba, aliases a Bellingham, and you get that benignant of energy, that does not beryllium good pinch people. So personification for illustration Jude, for immoderate reason, frightens these group because of his capacity and nan inspiration he tin give."

Bellingham was left retired of England's October squad to look Wales and Latvia successful October, earlier returning for this month's qualifiers against Serbia and Albania.

He came connected aft 65 minutes against Serbia and was replaced aft 84 minutes by Morgan Rogers against Albania.

"I deliberation to a definite degree, if you person players for illustration Jude, who are truthful competitive, they will ne'er for illustration it (being substituted)," said Tuchel.

"But he has to judge it. We are astir standards and level, and committedness to and respect to each other, truthful personification is waiting outside, and we will not alteration our determination conscionable because personification is waving their arms."

Bukayo Saka, Marcus Rashford and Jadon Sancho were racially abused connected societal media aft nan trio missed penalties successful nan Euro 2021 last conclusion by Italy astatine Wembley.

A mural of Rashford, who led a run against nan government's plans to scrap free schoolhouse meals retired of word time, was defaced successful southbound Manchester pursuing nan final.

"If you are outspoken, black, and playing to that benignant of level and not caring, that frightens definite people," said Wright, who scored 9 goals successful 33 England appearances.