‘A class act’ – Slovenia star hails Jude Bellingham for touching gesture after Euro clash

Slovenia star Timi Max Elsnik revealed how Jude Bellingham did not forget him with a small, but classy gesture after the 0-0 draw on Tuesday.

England have topped Group C at Euro 2024 after a 0-0 draw against Slovenia that, while met with criticism, will see the Three Lions avoid big side France, Spain, Germany and Portugal until potentially the final should England get there.

While the match was not one of Gareth Southgate’s best highlights, Slovenia celebrated wildly at full time after they clinched qualification to the knockout rounds as one of the best third-placed teams.

Among those to help the European minnows reach the latter stages for the first time at European Championship was former Derby County midfielder Elsnik, who asked Bellingham for his shirt at half time in Cologne.

However, after his teammate managed to swoop in and get to the Real Madrid star before him, the 26-year-old thought the moment had gone – until Bellingham sought him out after the match to give him a new shirt.

Speaking on the Hawksbee & Jacobs Show on talkSPORT, the Olimpija Ljubljana player said: “I asked him for his shirt at half time and we agreed after the game in the tunnel.

“Then obviously, we went to celebrate with the fans and one of my teammates just went up to him and took it off him.

“I saw that he had the Bellingham shirt and I was not going to get it and then in the interview area, I waited for [John] Stones.

“John gave me his shirt and I swapped with him and then one of our analysts, when we were in the stands with our families, he came up to me and said, ‘I have a shirt for you’.

“I said whose shirt and he said Jude Bellingham’s, so he remembered that he promised me. I was really surprised, I thought the moment was gone because he gave it to someone else.

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“So yeah, class act from him that he didn’t forget about small Timi from Slovenia!

“That will be a massive piece in my collection.”

Bellingham opened the scoring for England at Euro 2024 this summer with his header against Serbia, which turned out to be the winner in a 1-0 victory.

He hasn’t got on the scoresheet since with the Three Lions drawing against Denmark and Slovenia.

But the Real Madrid midfielder has quickly become a superstar since moving to the Bernabeu last year from Borussia Dortmund.

In his debut campaign with Los Blancos, the 20-year-old led Real to the LaLiga title with a league-high 19 goals.