‘He’s not Lionel Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo’ - Jude Bellingham told he ‘can’t win games by himself’ & is more of a Bryan Robson figure for England than creative No.10

Bellingham has occupied both of those berths during his career to date. He burst onto the scene as a precociously-gifted teenager while filling a position in Birmingham City’s engine room. At that point, inevitable comparisons were made with Liverpool great Steven Gerrard.

It did not take long, following a move to Borussia Dortmund, for senior international recognition to come his way. The 23-year-old has become a talismanic presence for the Three Lions, with his iconic ‘who else’ celebration at Euro 2024 being followed by seven goals at the 2026 World Cup.

England look to Bellingham, alongside record-breaking captain Harry Kane, for inspiration. He has duly delivered on a regular basis, with Thomas Tuchel finding a playmaking spot in his plans for a man that performs just behind Kylian Mbappe at club level.

There is the promise of more to come, but ex-England star Barnes - speaking in association with 247Bet - told GOAL when asked if the best version of Bellingham has been rediscovered on the back of recent injury issues: “The best version of Jude is not going to win us the World Cup. The best version of England is going to win us the World Cup.

“Jude Bellingham and Harry Kane by themselves aren't going to win us the World Cup. They showed what they can do, which is they can win some games by themselves in terms of the way the team is set up for them to be the scorers.

“But if you want to win at the highest level, right at the top, Jude Bellingham by himself isn't going to do that. He's not a Messi or Ronaldo, and even Messi or Ronaldo didn't do that.

“He will be part of that but we need to have a better environment to then have a much better team, rather than Jude shining in an average team. We have good enough players for us to do better than we did from a team perspective.”

Pressed further on Bellingham’s best position, with it important that Real and England get the most out of him, Liverpool legend Barnes added: “Jude is not a number 10, he's an eight. He's not a 10, he's not a Messi, he's not a Wirtz.

“That's not what he is, and maybe he thinks it is, but he is not that. He's a Bryan Robson, he can get up and down, because he can get back and defend as well. He's not a creative player in that sense, like a Florian Wirtz, with the eye of a needle pass and those intricate plays in tight areas. He's a number eight, which can be of great value, like [Dominik] Szoboszlai, for example.

“I think that the manager has to then come up with a way of utilising Jude, maybe not Harry Kane at his age, to find the way that the team plays to suit all of the players, and Jude will be an important part of that.”

Bellingham has, after helping England to another major tournament semi-final and third-place finish at the World Cup finals in North America, rejoined Real’s ranks as they open a new chapter under the guidance of Jose Mourinho.

Working with the ‘Special One’ could unlock further potential in his game, becoming a Ballon d’Or contender again, while the Three Lions will be back in action across late September and early October when opening their latest UEFA Nations League campaign against Spain, Czechia and Croatia.