Bellingham 'Not Essential' to England's Project, Says Parker as Gordon Gamble Backfires Against Croatia

England's commanding 4-2 World Cup triumph over Croatia has left the Three Lions well-positioned in Group L, but not everyone is convinced about the role of their celebrated midfielder in the victory.

Paul Parker, the former Manchester United and England defender, has questioned whether Jude Bellingham represents a cornerstone of Thomas Tuchel's setup. Despite the Real Madrid starlet finding the back of the net during the rout of Zlatko Dalic's side, Parker maintains the midfielder remains peripheral rather than pivotal to England's prospects.

"I don't look at Jude Bellingham as a key figure," Parker explained. "He is not that important. This team very much depends on Harry Kane, definitely not on Jude Bellingham."

The pundit's assessment centres on consistency and reliability. While Bellingham possesses undeniable talent, Parker argues that England's fortunes don't hinge on his performances in the manner they do with other squad members.

"I don't consider him an important player because I don't think England's performances will drop drastically even if he has a bad game," Parker continued. "Other players can come in and do a similar job, maybe even better. He has a way to go and you can't rely on him because he is very much up and down."

By contrast, Kane's display against Croatia drew lavish praise from Parker, who described it as the finest all-around performance he has witnessed from the England captain at international level. The Bayern Munich forward was far more than a traditional centre-forward, operating as a creator and quarterback figure whilst also contributing defensively.

"His time in Germany has definitely changed his game completely," Parker observed. "His mindset has changed and he understands he can work hard now. He is still scoring goals and has revitalised himself."

Kane's first-half brace appeared to have settled matters before Baturina and Musa hauled Croatia level. Bellingham and Marcus Rashford's second-half strikes ultimately secured England's passage through the group stage.

However, Parker reserved particular criticism for Tuchel's selection of Anthony Gordon, suggesting the winger's inclusion left England operating as a man short on the pitch.

"Gordon was really poor against Croatia," Parker stated bluntly. "You need more than just work rate. He is there to cause problems but he only caused England problems because they were a man less than Croatia because he played."

Parker believes Tuchel may have already recognised the error, predicting Gordon will be dropped for England's upcoming fixture against Ghana, with Rashford set to reclaim his opportunity.