Jude Bellingham has thanked outgoing England interim boss Lee Carsley for giving him his “smile back” when playing for his country.
Carsley’s six-game caretaker spell ended in style as his side beat the Republic of Ireland 5-0 at Wembley to ensure their return to the top flight of the Nations League.
Bellingham was instrumental in the win, claiming three assists in a man-of-the-match performance which had everything but a goal of his own.
The Real Madrid star cut a frustrated figure at times during the summer’s European Championship as England got to the final and he has paid tribute to Carsley for helping him enjoy international football again.
“Huge thanks to Lee and his staff for their work in these last few camps,” Bellingham wrote on his Instagram story.
“Got my smile back in an England shirt, very grateful!!”
Carsley, who worked with Bellingham at Under-21 level, has been impressed with his player’s leadership skills.
He said: “He always plays with responsibility. I know we only see it during games but he does it in training, he leads by example, he’s a really good person to have around because people want to aspire to him and compete with him.
“You’ve seen tonight that there is a level of player coming into the squad who are definitely raising the bar.”