Better than Gazza & Steven Gerrard! Real Madrid superstar Jude Bellingham boasts potential to ‘surpass’ England legends, claims ex-Three Lions striker

The 20-year-old midfielder continues to see his stock soar after completing a €103 million (£89m/$109m) summer transfer from Borussia Dortmund to Real Madrid. Bellingham has hit 10 goals for the Blancos through as many appearances and is considered to be leading the race for the prestigious Golden Boy award in 2023.

Ex-England international and fellow West Midlands native Collymore has told Lord Ping of what Bellingham can achieve: “It’s been several years since we’ve had a midfielder who can do everything and that is what Bellingham is progressing towards. There are areas of his game that can be improved, but he is very good at everything. If he can develop his game further, and he will, then he will go and will become a world-class talent for years to come. He will be spoken of in the same breath as players like Steven Gerrard, Frank Lampard, Paul Gascoigne, but he has the ability and the potential to surpass them. His ability at his age is unbelievable. He doesn’t suffer any fools in any dressing rooms and is quite happy to say what he thinks. He has the head of a 30-year-old player on his young shoulders. That’s really important. He won’t have anyone at Real Madrid like a Luka Modric or a Toni Kroos telling him how to suck eggs. He’ll respect their opinions, but he’ll do things his own way. I’d be disappointed when the 2028 European Championships come around and a 25-five year old Bellingham doesn’t captain England to lifting the trophy. I would be absolutely stunned if Jude wasn’t wearing the armband at that point. By the time that tournament comes around, he could have 300 games under his belt and 20 trophies in his locker. That is scary to think about.”

Collymore added on Bellingham silencing those who questioned Birmingham’s decision to retire his No.22 shirt when leaving for Dortmund in 2020: “I thought it was madness when Birmingham City retired his shirt. As a Villa fan, I was thinking ‘Birmingham don’t have any trophies, but they’re retiring the shirts of 16-year-old kids. Whatever next’. I started to take notice of him at that point because that is something that just doesn’t happen. He went to Dortmund and did really well, but Real Madrid is a different level entirely. In a short time, the Spanish papers have already started calling him ‘The Master’. He will have a dip at some stage in his career, that is only natural especially for a player that is so young, but he has a long way to fall if and when that happens. I’m just delighted that he is English. With the European Championships and the World Cup on the horizon, which culturally won’t be too different to what he’s used to, then looking further ahead to a European Championship on home soil (2028) where he will be 25, everything is looking tailor-made for him to dominate these tournaments and be the best player in the world in his position.”

Bellingham is already up to 26 caps for England and will be hoping to figure in a Euro 2024 qualification clash with Italy on Tuesday that could see the Three Lions book their tickets to next summer’s continental showpiece in Germany.