Jude Bellingham’s wild side may cost England – but it is a risk worth taking for Thomas Tuchel

Real Madrid midfielder was lucky not to get sent off against Latvia and was given a red card last month for abusing the referee

Before getting stuck into Jude Bellingham, you might have seen that one of England’s No10s of years past, Dele Alli, was back on the pitch for the first time in 748 days as a late substitute for Serie A club Como last week.

Regrettably for Dele, just nine minutes into his long-awaited return he was shown a straight red card for a clumsy tackle on AC Milan’s Ruben Loftus-Cheek, drawing criticism from Como head coach Cesc Fabregas after a 2-1 defeat for his side in the San Siro.

It was a rusty moment from the former Tottenham midfielder but a reminder that the best version of Dele always came with a sharp edge, a tendency towards mischief that felt as inherent to his game as his outstanding timing or touch.

When he was dazzling at Spurs, on his way to back-to-back PFA Young Player of the Year awards, there was a view at the club, championed by then-head coach Mauricio Pochettino, that trying to tame Dele’s wild side would also risk dulling his immense talent.