Jamie Carragher has likened reported Liverpool target Jude Bellingham to England legend Paul Gascoigne as the Three Lions beat Senegal 3-0 to progress to the 2022 FIFA World Cup quarter-finals.
Writing in the Telegraph, the former Liverpool defender was full of praise for Bellingham as the 19-year-old midfielder once again stole the show for England, with the Borussia Dortmund star controlling everything for Gareth Southgate’s side against Senegal.
Praise has been high for Bellingham in the past 24 hours, with Carragher now throwing his hat into the ring by comparing the midfielder’s World Cup to that of what England legend Gascoigne experienced in Italia 90, with the pundit also naming Michael Owen and Wayne Rooney as other players who have enjoyed similar breakout tournaments.
Carragher wrote on comparing Bellingham to Gascoigne: “The echoes of Gazza 32 years ago are unavoidable. With every performance in this tournament, Bellingham has oozed the same confidence, transforming the team and catching the public imagination.”
Indeed, comparing Bellingham to a player as great in England football mythology as Gascoigne is quite the claim from Carragher. However, there is some truth in the Liverpool’s legend appraisals of the Dortmund wonderkid and the players the Anfield target is now seemingly following.
England have seen many great players make a name for themselves on an international stage, and Bellingham is clearly that name for this generation, which could hinder Liverpool in their quest to sign the 19-year-old in the summer transfer window.
Bellingham’s England display vs. Senegal was the last thing Liverpool wanted
The World Cup this year has been the Bellingham show for England supporters, with the midfielder the best player on the pitch against Senegal and once again showing the world why he is one of football’s most sought-after talents, which is what Liverpool didn’t want to see.
After all, the Reds are looking to sign the Dortmund star in the summer of 2023. And performances like this will do little to stop rival clubs from intensifying their interest in signing Bellingham, which Liverpool will want to do more than anything next year.
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