He could have gone back to resume celebrations in front of the delirious England fans and danced alongside his manager.
He could have started the party in the dressing-room or rushed to friends and family in the stands. Instead, Jude Bellingham stood at the mouth of the tunnel that takes the players from the pitch to the bowels of the stadium, waiting.
The 21-year-old was waiting for Manuel Akanji, who had been thanking the Swiss fans for their magnificent support. Akanji, of course, was the only man to miss a penalty in the shootout in Dusseldorf, his low, weak effort to the goalkeeper’s left saved by Jordan Pickford.
Bellingham was waiting to console him, his England shirt in his hand. The pair hugged and after a few words, Bellingham asked Akanji for his jersey.
The Manchester City defender pulled off his red top and the pair swapped shirts and hugged again. It was a special moment at the end of a momentous night, at the end of which Akanji said: “It feels like I have let my team, my whole country down.”
Bellingham knew how he would be feeling and wanted to console him - the act of a young man mature beyond his 21 years. And the Real Madrid player’s performance against Switzerland was equally mature.
Bellingham had gone into the game on a yellow card, knowing he would be targeted by the Swiss and knowing a booking would mean missing the semi-final. He had also been fined £25,000 and given a suspended one-match ban by UEFA following the gesture he made at the end of the last-16 win over Slovakia.
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And a lot of the questions for Gareth Southgate ahead of the quarter-final were concerning Bellingham’s temperament. The England manager was almost scornful in his response, pointing out that Bellingham’s career has been characterised by grown-up decisions and that he had full confidence in Bellingham staying composed, despite walking a disciplinary tightrope.
That confidence was fully justified. Bellingham had the odd exchange of words with an opponent and with referee Daniele Orsato but never looked like losing his temper in what was often a frustrating game.
And, of course, he took England’s second penalty in the shootout and dispatched it with aplomb. Bellingham then watched his team-mates make it five-out-of-five and book their place in the last four, and he joined in the raucous celebrations before taking the time and effort to try and console the devastated Akanji. A class act.
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