Jude Bellingham’s dad labelled ‘absolute disgrace’ by England’s greatest football icon

England legend Sir Geoff Hurst has blasted Mark Bellingham for his behaviour after the Borussia Dortmund midfielder’s dad confronted club officials following a Bundesliga match

England football icon Sir Geoff Hurst has branded Mark Bellingham’s actions as an ‘absolute disgrace’ after he furiously confronted Borussia Dortmund officials following a match.

Mark is the father of Real Madrid sensation Jude and Dortmund midfielder Jobe. The former non-league forward and retired police sergeant played a key role in facilitating Jobe’s £31million move from Sunderland to Dortmund in June.

However, Jobe’s start at Dortmund has been less than stellar, featuring in the starting line-up for only three of their nine matches this season. During the Bundesliga season opener against St Pauli, Dortmund manager Nico Kovac made the ruthless decision to substitute Jobe at half-time.

This move incensed Mark, who waited in the tunnel post-match to confront the club’s top brass. Jobe’s father reportedly engaged in a fiery exchange with Dortmund’s sporting director Sebastian Kehl, expressing his dissatisfaction at the substitution.

The incident caused a huge stir in Germany and was subsequently reported by the English media, drawing the attention of Hurst – the icon who scored the first ever hat-trick in a World Cup final to fire the Three Lions to a 4–2 victory over West Germany in 1966.

The sole surviving member of England’s starting XI from their legendary win at Wembley was speaking at a Bristol event and delivered a scathing assessment of Bellingham’s father.

“A thing that has irritated me is a picture in one of the papers about the most powerful man in English football – and it’s Jude Bellingham’s father,” Hurst, 83, said as quoted by the Sun, reports the Mirror.

“He was complaining when his son was taken off in a game – and that is an absolute joke. If you don’t eradicate that kind of thing, that is an absolute disgrace.”

Mark made headlines over the weekend after reports he’s split from wife Denise – who he has been married to for over two decades.

The ex-copper – a controversial figure within the England camp – has grown close to Shelley Punshon, a detective constable in the West Mercia police.

Snaps of the pair have been shared on Ms Punshon’s Facebook page as a source close to Jobe has opened up on the “atmosphere and tension” that is “affecting his performances on the pitch”.