DANNY MURPHY: Jude Bellingham can expect his life to change after the World Cup

The World Cup can change lives. I saw it happen to Michael Owen, a good friend, who returned from the 1998 tournament in France as a national hero. History could repeat itself for someone like Jude Bellingham.

Michael and myself had played in Liverpool’s first team so were used to signing one or two autographs but, for him, the impact of his wonder goal against Argentina was off the scale.

We’d share lifts back from training but whereas we’d previously been able to stop for food without hassle, it wasn’t possible once everyone recognised Michael.

Teenager Jude Bellingham has the chance to become a national hero at the World Cup in Qatar

I recall one trip to McDonald’s. We’d only been in the store for a minute before a crowd of a hundred people gathered round him, growing with every second.

It was uncomfortable for Michael and with no security to help the only option was to leave immediately. Fame wasn’t something he courted or anticipated but became his life.

There were over-eager fans at his house. Advertisers and sponsors wanted him. Chatting to Michael at an airport cash machine, his current account status popped up with a few more noughts than I’d ever seen before.

This was my mate who was earning a few hundred quid a week like me not long before. It didn’t change Michael, but everything changed towards him. Thankfully he handled it brilliantly and it didn’t distract him on the pitch.

Michael Owen’s life changed after his stunning goal against Argentina at the 1998 World Cup

Bellingham has emerged a superstar in the Bundesliga since his move to Dortmund in 2020

I’m reminded of that tumultuous time because we have got another World Cup coming round. Somebody is going to arrive in Qatar as a star and return as a superstar.

The Champions League is a huge tournament in its own right with as much quality as a World Cup but it isn’t seen by as many people from all four corners of the globe.

If Phil Foden or Jack Grealish score an important goal in a big match for England, their level of fame will increase even more and they will have to deal with that.

I think the likeliest English candidate to experience this rise in profile is Bellingham, himself still a teenager as Owen was. He plays with a freedom and personality that endear him to everyone. 

Knowledgeable fans will know about his achievements at Borussia Dortmund but the World Cup will introduce him to a new audience with every England game attracting millions of viewers. He looks a certain starter for Gareth Southgate regardless of the system he chooses. He would certainly be in any England XI of mine.

Boss Gareth Southgate named his 26-man squad ahead of the major tournament on Thursday 

Bellingham has taken everything in his stride, including his move to Germany at 17, so I don’t think the World Cup will faze him. When I was a kid, I loved watching Gazza at the World Cup — even though I was a Liverpool fan — because he played with great enjoyment. Bellingham could have that same universal appeal. 

I know in my house there were whoops of delight from my son when he bought him on FIFA. The noise was so loud, I ran up in case the bedroom was burning!

To me, courage and freedom in football are linked. Bellingham has the courage to take the ball in tight areas, try clever passes, make runs into the box.

My brother works in Premier League recruitment. I asked him three years ago who was the best young English midfield player coming through. He said ‘Jude Bellingham, bar none’.

It was categorical and I took notice because my brother isn’t prone to hyperbole. At that stage Bellingham was only 16 and hadn’t played many games for Birmingham City’s first team.

Manchester City duo Jack Grealish (L) and Phil Foden (R) could see their fame surge after Qatar

If Southgate plays three at the back in Qatar, it should be Declan Rice and Bellingham in midfield. If it’s a 4-3-3, Bellingham will have a licence to get forward with Rice holding, possibly with Mason Mount on the other side. Bellingham’s Champions League goals this season prove he is a threat.

In terms of versatility and being able to do any job on the pitch, Bellingham reminds me of another player I grew up with at Liverpool, Steven Gerrard.

In the sense of how his life might be about to change, I can’t help thinking of Michael and the impact the 1998 World Cup had on him.