Rob Segal has backed Jude Bellingham as a ‘future England captain in waiting’ after his commanding performance for the Three Lions in their opening 6-2 win over Iran at the Qatar World Cup.
The Borussia Dortmund teenager registered a goal on the day to open the scoring and had a hand in the nation’s fourth and sixth goals as Gareth Southgate’s men enjoyed a record-breaking victory.
“Jude Bellingham at only 19 years old and he showed he is a future England captain in waiting,” the Caught Offside columnist told the publication.
“He showed energy, a desire to win the ball back and everything good about England’s play went through him. He took his goal well with a towering header too.
“Bellingham, as well as Arsenal’s Bukayo Saka were by far England’s best players. They linked up down the right side in the first half and created chaos.”
The Englishman has already registered 12 goal contributions in 22 games for his current club (across all competitions) and looks set to attract heavy interest in the summer window.
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Alan Shearer suggested that, such was the talent behind Bellingham, it was only a matter of time before he ended up at a super club of the likes of Liverpool and Real Madrid.
We’ll certainly be keeping our fingers crossed that it’s the former rather than the latter of the two options – especially given our ongoing concerns in the middle of the park.
It will cost us a fortune, judging by his latest World Cup performance, to land the midfielder in the summer, though we shouldn’t preclude the possibility if the starlet is genuinely committed to his personal development.
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