Jude Bellingham has said he felt the “whole world crumbling down on me” after being mistreated and made a scapegoat for England’s defeat in the European Championship final.

The Real Madrid midfielder, back in England for Wednesday’s Champions League tie at Liverpool, posted on social media that he had “got my smile back in an England shirt” after the recent Nations League win over the Republic of Ireland. In a searingly honest explanation of why the joy of playing for England had gone, the 21-year-old cited personal criticism in the aftermath of the Euros final defeat by Spain and media intrusion that he believes crossed a line.

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