Wright-Phillips stands by those comments from his father and admits that a global superstar may start to ask questions of whether he ever wants to play club football in his homeland again.
The Premier League title winner told BestBettingSites: “If I was Jude Bellingham, I think it could put me off from playing in the Premier League, definitely. In England we seem to target a player ahead of a big tournament, like they’re dying to break one of them down.
“I’ve just never understood why. You want your players going into a tournament full of confidence. Arrogant, almost. You want them knowing and thinking they can win. The press should big them up, help them, not tear them down like this. The press causes problems and puts doubts in their head, and changes the way they think.
“I think if you change a player’s personality, you change how they play. That’s not always good. Far from it. I think the players need to just concentrate on what they're doing. So if I was Jude, why would I come back when I can stay at Real Madrid and enjoy life at the same time, without bad press that comes for no reason.
“I think he’s the go-to man for England, and I sometimes do not understand why he is in the crosshairs. He’s not perfect, but he’s performing well for club and country. It’s not like he has some huge arrogant attitude, or plays badly. They should leave him be and let him prepare mentally.”
Looking for smarter football bets? Get expert previews, data-driven predictions & winning insights withGOAL Tips on Telegram. Join our growing community now!