Jude Bellingham failed ‘secret of a top player’ test at Borussia Dortmund – has Real Madrid & England superstar mastered it ahead of Champions League final?

The England international, who already has a La Liga title triumph under his belt for 2023-24, is currently readying himself for a Champions League final clash with former employers Dortmund at Wembley Stadium on Saturday.

Lambert, as a BVB legend, will be among the interested observers when that continental clash takes place. He hopes Bellingham ends up on the losing team, but is a big fan of the 20-year-old midfielder – who has earned Golden Boy honours and is considered to be a contender for Ballon d’Or contention recognition in 2024.

Lambert has told the Daily Mail of crossing paths with Bellingham during his time at Dortmund, with the youngster eager to present him with a match-worn jersey after one outing for the Bundesliga giants: “We met up and he had his shirt for me, which was lovely. It was soaking wet. I said to him, ‘Jude, you know the secret of being a top player? You don’t sweat!’. He laughed, we had a chat and got a picture. He’d said to me, ‘All right, legend’. I’m not one for all that, really. But I just thought he was a brilliant kid. I’d watched them train the day before and phoned my pal straight away. ‘I’ve just seen two young lads’, I told him. ‘Haaland and Bellingham. They’re going to be superstars!’”

That assessment has proved to be correct, with Bellingham completing a big-money transfer to Madrid in the summer of 2023 – with the 20-goal barrier broken in his debut campaign with the Blancos. Haaland, meanwhile, headed for Manchester City in 2022 and helped them to a historic treble at the end of his first season in England – with the prolific Norwegian up to 90 goals through 98 appearances for the Premier League title holders.