Gary Neville has defended Jude Bellingham after the England midfielder publicly responded to Thomas Tuchel's criticism of the team's performance following their 2-1 extra-time victory over Norway in the World Cup quarter-finals.

Despite scoring both goals to send England into the semi-finals, Bellingham disagreed with Tuchel's post-match assessment that the performance had been 'sloppy' and 'lucky'.

The midfielder argued that England deserved greater recognition for overcoming difficult conditions, including extreme heat and a talented Norwegian side featuring Erling Haaland, Martin Ødegaard, Antonio Nusa and Alexander Sørloth.

He stressed that tournament football often requires teams to 'win dirty' rather than dominate possession and praised the effort and commitment shown by his team-mates throughout the match.

Neville supported Bellingham's decision to challenge his manager publicly, saying elite players should be willing to speak after matches and express honest opinions.He suggested Bellingham's response reflected confidence, leadership and maturity rather than disrespect.

While acknowledging that Tuchel was right to demand higher standards from his squad ahead of a challenging semi-final against Argentina, Neville also believed Bellingham was justified in defending the players' achievement after reaching the last four of the tournament.Neville added that healthy disagreements between players and managers are part of elite sport and need not be viewed as damaging.

He also praised Bellingham's outstanding World Cup campaign, describing him as England's leading performer and arguing that his displays have elevated him into the conversation as the world's best midfielder.

According to Neville, Bellingham's influence both on and off the pitch has been instrumental in England's progress and has reinforced his status as one of football's biggest stars.