“They talked him up”: suspicion over “strange call-up” of Borussia Dortmund star by England coach Thomas Tuchel

Former England international Chris Waddle cannot understand why Borussia Dortmund's Jobe Bellingham has been picked for the Three Lions.

"There are plenty of question marks over it," the 65-year-old told iGaming.com. "Why aren't other players from the Premier League who are playing well there and making headlines being selected? It is strange," he said.

England manager Thomas Tuchel has given 21-year-old Jobe Bellingham his first call-up, bringing him into the squad alongside his older brother Jude, who plays for Real Madrid. Jude also wore Dortmund's shirt, while Tuchel coached the Black and Yellows between 2015 and 2017. "They talked him up," said Waddle, who believed Dortmund had successfully promoted their player.

Waddle questioned whether Tuchel was doing his former club a favour: "Who knows whether this is all a favour to his old club Dortmund," he speculated. "I've seen Dortmund once or twice this season. He's done a decent job there, but he hasn't taken charge of the team either," he said. In Dortmund's central midfield, Bellingham faces strong competition from players such as Joey Veerman, Marcel Sabitzer, Felix Nmecha and Konstantinos Karetsas.

"If he does a good job for England now, of course I'll be pleased. But I, like so many people, didn't see this coming. It's a strange selection," admitted Waddle, who expects the younger Bellingham to feature, if at all, in one of England's two upcoming Nations League matches. "If he gets a chance, it will probably be in the first game against Croatia, because Tuchel will have to field his strongest team against Spain," Waddle said.