Bellingham's World Cup goal record fuels England No.9 debate

Jude Bellingham's record-breaking World Cup has prompted talkSPORT pundits to suggest the Real Madrid midfielder could eventually fill England's centre-forward role, amid continued uncertainty over who succeeds Harry Kane.

Kane, who turns 33 this month, avoided committing to another World Cup cycle when asked about 2030, saying only that it was too early to discuss it. He would be close to 37 by the time that tournament comes around. Kane was England's joint-top scorer at a World Cup in Russia 2018 with six goals, matching the mark he set again this summer.

The succession picture is no clearer behind him. Both of England's back-up forwards at the tournament, Ollie Watkins and Ivan Toney, are already 30. Their involvement was minimal before the third-place play-off: Watkins played six minutes against Panama in the final group game, while Toney was used only in the closing seconds of the defeat to Argentina.

A record-breaking tournament

England's third-place play-off ended in a 5-3 win over France, a match in which Watkins gave the ball away in the build-up to Kylian Mbappe's first goal as the French fought back in the second half. Toney was given a 5/10 rating for his contribution. Bellingham, by contrast, came off the bench to score and become the first Englishman to reach seven goals at a single World Cup, moving past Gary Lineker's six at Mexico 1986.

• Jude Bellingham finished the World Cup with seven goals, an English record for a single tournament
• Gary Lineker previously held the mark with six at Mexico 1986
• Harry Kane has twice scored six at a World Cup, in 2018 and this summer
• Back-up forwards Ollie Watkins and Ivan Toney are both 30 and saw limited minutes
• Kane, 33 this month, declined to commit to playing at the 2030 World Cup

Speaking on talkSPORT's World Cup GameDay, Jamie O'Hara and Micky Gray argued that England should now shape the team around Bellingham, with O'Hara describing his finishing as exceptional and comparing his style to Kane's more closely than that of the other forward options. Gray drew a parallel with Argentina, who have long built their side around Lionel Messi, and predicted England would rise to third in the FIFA rankings after the tournament.

Whether Bellingham is ever used as an out-and-out striker remains speculative, and any change would depend on who manages England next and how the forward department develops. For now, the debate reflects a wider question the side faces: how to replace Kane's goals once he steps away, and whether the answer already exists in midfield.