Aston Villa icon Gabby Agbonlahor has launched a passionate defence of Birmingham City hero Jude Bellingham after the England star faced criticism for his reaction to being substituted during the international fixture against Albania.
The substitution controversy
During England's 2-0 victory over Albania, Real Madrid sensation Jude Bellingham was visibly frustrated when manager Thomas Tuchel replaced him with Aston Villa's Morgan Rogers with just ten minutes remaining. The former Birmingham City midfielder was sitting on a yellow card at the time, and another booking would have seen him sent off and subsequently banned for England's opening World Cup fixture next summer.
When questioned about Bellingham's response after the match, Tuchel confirmed he was well aware of the player's displeasure. The England manager remarked: "I saw that he was not happy. My word stands - we are about standards and a level of commitment to each other and respect to each other."
Agbonlahor's defence of Bellingham
Speaking on TalkSport, Gabby Agbonlahor argued that the incident was being blown completely out of proportion. "What I thought was that people pick at little things with Jude Bellingham," the Aston Villa legend stated. "Another player does that, it's not big news. Jude Bellingham didn't have one of his best games, but got player of the match."
Agbonlahor suggested that while Bellingham could improve his reaction to being substituted, the criticism was excessive. "I don't think it's a big deal, I don't think it's back page news," he insisted, before making a four-word plea to critics: "Leave the lad alone."
The former striker highlighted Bellingham's teamwork throughout the match, noting: "Did you not see during the first half where Bellingham's breaking his neck to get back to a slide tackle to do his defensive duties as number 10? That's teamwork, doing the hard yards, defending."
Media scrutiny and Tuchel's stance
The debate intensified when Daily Mail journalist Craig Hope argued that Bellingham should have focused on celebrating Harry Kane's strike rather than dwelling on his own withdrawal. Agbonlahor responded dismissively, suggesting: "Sometimes you can't take people like Craig Hope seriously. He's now doing a bit of Sky and stuff, maybe the headlines have got him that little gig."
Meanwhile, Tuchel maintained his position on player behaviour while attempting to downplay the incident. "I don't want to make more out of it, but I stick to my words, 'behaviour is key' and respect towards the team-mates who come in," the England manager stated. "Decisions are made and you have to accept it as a player."
Despite the controversy, England secured a comfortable 2-0 victory in the match held on November 17, 2025, with Bellingham having been recognised as player of the match before his late substitution.
