Taylor Harwood-Bellis can lean on one of the Republic of Ireland’s greatest and most fearsome players for advice ahead of facing them this week, with Roy Keane among the wide-ranging influences on his journey to the England squad.
The Southampton centre-back, called up for the seniors for the first time for the Nations League fixtures against Greece and Ireland, is engaged to Leah Keane, the daughter of arguably the Premier League’s greatest ever midfielder.
Harwood-Bellis’s family are steeped in sport, and in Stockport County in particular, with his father the mascot Vernon Bear for years while he is nephew to club president Steve Bellis. His sister Becky, meanwhile, played basketball for Great Britain.
Harwood-Bellis, 22, speaks glowingly of their influence as he went through the ranks at Manchester City to fulfil the dream of his grandfather who played for the club. And recently he has taken advice from Keane, as he has become a Premier League regular after loans in the Championship culminated in promotion last season.
“It’s something that is good and I take a lot of advice,” he said of his having Keane’s influence on his partner’s side of the family. His engagement has been chronicled on social media, with the proposal on a boat in Positano on the Amalfi Coast in Italy.
‘There’s something in the Stockport air’
The journey to the England squad, via last year’s Euro triumph with the Under-21s, started in Stockport which is the birthplace of Phil Foden, Kobbie Mainoo and Harwood-Bellis among the current young Three Lions.
“There is something in the air in Stockport, I think,” is his explanation. “It’s a good town, good people and the club, Stockport County, is a big support. There’s football everywhere, down the road there’s City and United. It’s a footballing area, the grass roots is good.”
While he never played for Stockport, his family were entrenched in the club and his father wore the mascot suit for years. “It wasn’t just once, so he must have been good at it. It was sad to see him stop,” said Harwood-Bellis.
It was at City’s Academy where he was educated and where himself, Rico Lewis, Morgan Rogers and James Trafford from the current squad were schooled in football and helped along by Kyle Walker and John Stones in the first team.
Another City legend to have a huge impact on his career was Vincent Kompany, who had him on loan when Burnley were promoted from the Championship, helping him “personally to grow as a player and a human being as well”.
Burnley went up but did not not convert the loans for Harwood-Bellis, Ian Maatsen or Nathan Tella. The following season Maatsen played in the Champions League final with Borussia Dortmund, Tella was part of Bayer Leverkusen’s unbeaten Bundesliga title while Harwood-Bellis was promoted with Southampton, which came with it a £20 million obligation to sign permanently.
‘I like being seen as a leader’
There is a giant-sized picture of Harwood-Bellis near the entrance of the football centre at St George’s Park of him lifting the Under-21s Euros last year under Lee Carsley, who told him that a place in the seniors would come with consistency in the Premier League.
Southampton have struggled for wins but Harwood-Bellis has caught the eye, particularly with his leadership.
“It was a part of me when I was younger. I’ve been captain all the way through England age groups and through the age groups at City,” he said. “It’s something that I like – I like being seen as a leader.
“I like helping my team and people that might want to come to me as their leader. Obviously, I’m in a different boat now with the seniors and at Southampton where there are a lot more experienced and older players and I am learning and trying to get better at it. I am just learning from everywhere I can.”
With England needing a win in Greece on Thursday to avoid a Nations League play-off, all focus is on Athens before facing the Irish when he will have family in the stands hoping he gets an appearance.
“We’ll have a few there. My family will want to be there to see if I feature or even just to be involved is massive for me and my family,” he said. “But everything is focused on Greece at the minute. It’s a big game with the result at home. Obviously, we want to go over there and get a result. It will be a good atmosphere and a full house. We are looking forward to it and taking the challenge on.”
