Jude Bellingham punches to give Scotland a sore face but not an unbroken spirit – Keith Jackson's big match verdict

Some lessons are more painful than others.

And last night at Hampden, Jude Bellingham started throwing the kind of punches which left Scotland nursing a sore face. This beating may not have broken the spirit which Steve Clarke has instilled in a squad which is bound for Germany next summer regardless.

But the £100million man from Real Madrid also dished out a reminder of why Scotland can take nothing for granted when they do come up against the very best in the business. He helped create the first goal for Phil Foden before slotting home England’s second in three devestating first-half minutes. Then, just when it seemed Scotland might rescue a draw and a bit of pride after a helping hand from Harry Maguire, Bellingham popped up again to set up another £100m man, Harry Kane, for the third.

By doing so, he ensured Scotland’s strong second-half performance came to nothing just when it felt as if we might settle for a draw on home soil rather than one in Oslo where Norway got the win they needed to prevent the second part of a dream double.

If anyone thought Clarke was bluffing when he insisted beforehand that he was treating this game as seriously as a Group A qualifier, the proof was right there. No messing about. No experiments. No tinkering to the team which had its business wrapped up inside half an hour in Cyprus on Friday night. The same 11 was given an ice bath, dusted down and sent straight back out as a clear signal of Scotland’s intent.

Gareth Southgate, on the other hand, felt relaxed enough to change more than half a team. That Foden and Marcus Rashford were two of six promoted from the bench, however, did little to weaken England’s arsenal. Especially given that Kane and Bellingham were not given the night off.