Support! Lineker s social media forwarded Bellingham s game highlights: He was very good and tried his best

Gary Lineker has made clear his support for Jude Bellingham amid the racism scandal, passionately defending him and calling him a "winner" following his controversial reaction after being substituted against Albania.

Bellingham was called up by head coach Thomas Tuchel to play in the England squad in November. After impressing as a substitute in the 2-0 win over Serbia, he returned to the starting line-up against Albania, but showed clear displeasure when he was replaced by Morgan Rogers in the 83rd minute.

Although Tuchel did not directly criticize his reaction, the England coach admitted that the matter will be "reviewed". He also added that "behavior is key" for the national team.

The incident comes amid rumors that Bellingham's personality is causing tension in the England dressing room. However, he is still regarded as a key player in the Three Lions' success at the World Cup.

Lineker shared a post on his Instagram story showing highlights from Bellingham's game against Albania, shown by UEFA's official European Cup account, and wrote: "He's just so good in football." A winner. Please don't believe the nonsense being said about @Bellingham. "

This message comes just hours after another former England international, Ian Wright, also launched a passionate defense of the midfielder. He claims the ongoing criticism is deeply rooted in racism.

Wright said: "I don't think they're ready for a black superstar. Who can act like Bellingham? They can't touch him. He goes out, he performs, he does his thing and he says, 'Who else'? That's too 'presumptuous' for these guys. I'll put it in football terms. They all love N'Golo Kante. He's humble. Black people, just do their thing. Not that he's an 'Uncle Tom' or anything, that's just his personality. But if you meet a Pogba, or a Bellingham, with that kind of energy, it makes those guys uncomfortable. So a guy like Jude, for some reason, scares those guys. 3}

"It's something you're taught as a black man, when you get into that field, you just want to do your best and keep your head down. And, to put it bluntly, be a slave to fucking humility. "

"It just comes from that mentality. Because if you're outspoken and black and get to that level and not care, that's going to scare some people. "

"That's it. What Bellingham is going through. He's getting out of that mentality. They can't see a black man doing what Bellingham does and not think he's an 'impudent nigga'. That's the root of the problem. Bellingham will be a key player for England now that they're guaranteed to qualify for next summer's World Cup. The Three Lions will not play until the international break in March, which will be Tuchel's last chance to inspect players before making a decision on World Cup squad selection.