Gareth Bale salutes Jude Bellingham’s ability to handle Real Madrid 'intensity and pressure' – with 23-goal England star targeting La Liga & Champions League double

The 20-year-old England international has enjoyed a memorable debut campaign at Santiago Bernabeu. He is already a title winner in Spain and will get the chance to become a European champion on June 1 when facing former employers Borussia Dortmund at Wembley Stadium.

Bellingham has registered 23 goals for Los Blancos this season and Bale, who knows all about the demands of performing under the brightest of sporting spotlights, has told Sky News of how well the Golden Boy winner has settled in Madrid: “At such a young age, to be doing what he's doing is fantastic. It's great to see, it's refreshing and it's important. The intensity, the pressure that you can feel under… So, he had a great start so far. Obviously, they still have a big game to come and it'll be great for him to win a Champions League in his first season, that really settles the pressure and, hopefully, he can kick on from there.”

Bale captured five Champions League crowns during his time with Real, registering 106 goals for the club, but also faced his fair share of challenges in the Spanish capital and has warned Bellingham to expect the same. The former Wales international, who retired in January 2023, added: “Of course, there's always going to be ups and downs. It's how you deal with those, how you bounce back, how your character comes out. There were obviously some great times, there were obviously some bad. But, I think normally the good outweighs the bad in the end.”

Bellingham has plenty of time in which to ride the Real Madrid rollercoaster, as he is tied to a contract through to 2029. After taking in a Champions League final clash in his homeland, the exciting playmaker will link up with the England squad for Euro 2024.