LIVERPOOL, England (AP) — Real Madrid midfielder Jude Bellingham said he was made a scapegoat after England came up short in its bid to win this year’s European Championship.

Bellingham, who scored one of the goals of the tournament with a stoppage-time overhead kick against Slovakia in the round of 16, said Tuesday he received unfair criticism for his performances.

“I’ve got to be honest, I think I lost my smile a lot after the Euros when it came to playing for England because I felt like I was a little bit mistreated in comparison to what I contributed,” he said. “I felt like some of it was a bit harsh on me. I felt I was a bit like the scapegoat. Maybe I was feeling a little bit sorry for myself.”

Bellingham went to the Euros following a brilliant season with Madrid where he won the Spanish league title and the Champions League. He was also named player of the season in Spain’s top division.

He scored two goals at the Euros as England finished runner-up after losing to Spain in the final.

Real Madrid star Jude Bellingham says he felt like England scapegoat after Euro 2024 | iNFOnews.ca — England’s Jude Bellingham gestures to the fans at the end of the UEFA Nations League soccer match between England and the Republic of Ireland at Wembley stadium in London, Sunday, Nov. 17, 2024. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung)

“I felt like I contributed some pretty big moments and, in the end, it kind of felt like the whole world was crumbling down on me after the Euros, especially after the three days following the final. It wasn’t a nice feeling,” he said.

Bellingham has just helped England to promotion to the top tier of the UEFA Nations League and posted on Instagram earlier this month that he had “got his smile back.”

He is back in his homeland this week as Madrid faces Liverpool in the Champions League on Wednesday.