Premier League legend Yaya Toure is full of praise for the ‘unbelievable’ Jude Bellingham with the reported Liverpool target showcasing his remarkable talent on the World Cup stage, speaking to The Athletic.
Is there anything Jude Bellingham can’t do?
No one in Gareth Southgate’s World Cup squad averages more tackles per game than the Birmingham-raised 19-year-old, while only Declan Rice and John Stones can better his 93 per cent pass completion rate (WhoScored).
And while the numbers tell their own story, Bellingham passes the ‘eye test’ with flying colours too; that supreme decision-making and awe-striking maturity more reminiscent of a footballer with a decade of elite-level experience under his belt.
Liverpool hope to sign Borussia Dortmund and England star Jude Bellingham
“Bellingham has been the star of all of England’s matches for me,” says Man City great Toure. “Sometimes he’s scoring, sometimes he’s passing, and the timing of his box-to-box runs are perfect.
“His mentality — his focus, his determination to win — at 19, is not normal. More young English players need what Bellingham has.
“Bellingham’s game intelligence and passing are also unbelievable. You could see it clearly in the way he created England’s second goal (for Jordan Henderson) against Senegal. He shows his desire to get to the ball first, then shows his strength when another defender tries to stop him in a bad way while he’s running at speed.”
Bellingham, who was just one year old when Sven Goran Eriksen’s Three Lions were knocked out of Euro 2004 by Portugal, appears to have added a whole-new string to his bow this season. That glorious header against Iran in the group-stages was his tenth goal in all competitions for Borussia Dortmund and England.
‘Reminds me of Steven Gerrard’
“The goal (against Iran) reminds me of (Steven) Gerrard, (Frank) Lampard, (Paul) Scholes. Maybe more Scholes. Big players who smell a chance, see the gap in a defence and just go into it,” Toure adds.
“These types of players force opponents to not just worry about the forwards. They have to worry about Bellingham too, because his running from the second line is brilliant.
“He doesn’t look 19. He looks like a player who has been playing at a high level for a long period. He’s going to be one of the best midfielders in the world and he’s showing his talent already.”
Bellingham is expected to leave Bundesliga giants Dortmund in the summer of 2023; Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool identifying perhaps world football’s finest young midfielder as their number one transfer target heading into the New Year (The Athletic).
Receive exclusive football transfer news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
