Declan Rice has told Thursday’s England press conference – on Hayters TV – that Liverpool and Manchester City target Jude Bellingham is starting to add a Frank Lampard quality to his game, making late runs and scoring goals.
Bellingham, 19, has been sensational this season – for club and country. Coming into the World Cup after scoring nine goals in 22 games for Dortmund and captaining the German side, he has taken that form to Qatar. Clubs are watching.
He scored the first of England’s nine goals at the World Cup, planting a header from a Luke Shaw cross into the Iran net. Bellingham has started all three games for England and is likely to start against Senegal on Sunday in the last 16.
As he continues to shine, his value grows. Florian Plettenberg claimed on Twitter this week that it is a three-horse race to sign Bellingham between Liverpool, Real Madrid and Manchester City. He is rated at a whopping £129million.
Speaking in Thursday’s press conference, Rice was asked about his midfielder partner Bellingham. He raved about the Dortmund star, claiming he is getting better and better – showing a Lampard quality of making late runs and scoring.
“I love playing with him. He’s young, he’s energetic, he gets around the pitch really well. For every game I’ve played with him so far, I’ve literally just said to him, this is your stage. Go out and perform,” Rice said, as per Hayters TV.
Rice: Liverpool target Bellingham adds Lampard quality to his game
“I’ll be behind you, don’t feel like you can’t go out and perform, attack. Get in the box and you know, I’ll be there for you. He’s showed that side to his game. He’s scored a lot of goals this year where he’s made that late run into the box.
“He didn’t do that much last year, but this year he has really added that to his game. If we can keep him at that level. Where he is arriving in the box – Lampard was the best at it – he can keep producing,” Rice continued, on Bellingham.
Bellingham is showing all the signs that he is going to become an England player for years and years. To have clocked up 20 caps for the Three Lions at 20, and potentially more this summer, is seriously impressive. Goals are flowing.
Will he go to Liverpool, Manchester City or Real Madrid? At almost £130million, Madrid and City are much more likely for Bellingham. Liverpool are not out of the question – with Trent Alexander-Arnold sending social media into a frenzy.
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