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After years of sensibly trying to downplay young success for fear of over-hyping expectations, Gareth Southgate seems to have accepted that horse has well and truly bolted for the 20 year old after his eight goals in nine games from midfield for Real Madrid.
In a week in which the Madrid press, in full Jude-mania mode, compared him to Alfredo di Stefano and Diego Maradona after a wonderful goal against Napoli, the time for tempering expectations has long gone.
Confronted with a question on whether Bellingham is, in fact, the best in the world, Southgate paused. ‘I wondered if you might say that,’ he said, smiling, fearful of heaping even greater expectation on a young man already a global phenomenon.
With England, there has always been a worry that should Harry Kane suffer an injury, the reserve centre forwards aren’t in the same bracket in terms of quality. What Carlo Ancelotti’s tactical tweak of Bellingham’s game has done is make that a moot point; Bellingham plays behind two wide players for Real Madrid and is one of the most potent goal threats in the world, playing a No.10 role but charging into the box to finish off chances.
Jude Bellingham has had a superb start to his Real Madrid career since his summer move
His emergence as a world class No 10 is brilliant news for England and Gareth Southgate
‘He’s playing higher [up the pitch this season] and we played him higher against Scotland,’ said Southgate. ‘He had that freedom in the Ukraine game as well, but we didn’t use the game well enough in the final third. But he’s always looked dangerous and had an impact around the opposing box with Borussia Dortmund and with us, without looking quite as calm as he has this season in front of goal. It’s brilliant to have people who can win games. He’s been the match-winner for Real Madrid and the start for him has been absolutely phenomenal. I’m chuffed to bits for him.’
If Kane were ever unfit, Bellingham as a goal-scoring No.10 would surely be England’s best replacement? ‘There are lots of different No.10s, aren’t there?’ said Southgate. ‘The No. 10s, I played against, Dennis Bergkamp, Gianfranco Zola probably were forwards that dropped deeper rather than the other way round. Jude is a more powerful player than those, slightly different. He’s more of a midfield player, who’s going to make midfield runs. That doesn’t mean he’s any less effective, as we’ve seen.
‘Their team [Real Madrid] have fond a nice balance with the athletic midfield they have behind and, having lost Karim Benzema and Vinicius [to injury] as they did, they have been adapting. He’s been defending on the left wing in a couple of games and I can just imagine the reaction from all and sundry if I asked him to do that! Look, he’s doing brilliantly well and that’s the beauty of some of the options we’ve got. We can play players in different positions. They’re good players so they can adapt.’
Alfredo Relaño, editor of hugely-influential and famously-demanding Spanish sports tabloid AS, said it more elegantly on Wednesday after Bellingham’s goal at Napoli.
‘Maybe Madrid couldn’t get Kylian Mbappe but Bellingham is a huge success and as a midfielder who plays like an attacker, he genuinely reminds me of Alfredo Di Stefano,’ wrote Relaño. ‘The elegance in his gait and the manner in which he uses the ball, his ferocity and indefatigability in battle, he’s half artist, half warrior. He’s the organisational focal point of the attacking game and yet still able to be the goal-scorer finishing chances.’
Steve McMananam and David Beckham, Madrid legends in their own way, never had anything like this. To be mentioned in the same breath as Di Stefano in Madrid is the equivalent of a Manchester United player being compared to George Best or Sir Bobby Charlton. And a player like that is quite the asset to have in your team when attempting to break the 60-year curse of failed campaigns.
Bellingham shone when playing in a more advanced role for the Three Lions against Scotland
His exploits at Real have already seen him likened to Alfredo Di Stefano and Diego Maradona
Next Friday, Southgate will take on Australia at Wembley in a friendly match and then a proper meeting of heavyweights when Italy come to London for the Euro 2024 qualifiers, a tournament for which they have all but qualified.
It will also be a reminder of the fateful Euro 2020 final against Italy, either a missed opportunity or a stepping stone for England depending on your take. England are now genuinely admired throughout Europe, along with France, as Euro 2024 favourites.
Beating Italy 2-1 in Naples, despite being down to ten men for the last ten minutes last season, was an indication of that and we’re a long way from the dark night of the soul Southgate was experiencing this time last year, when he had resolved that Qatar would be the end of the journey for him after a dreadful Nations League campaign. It was September last year when England were booed by their own fans in Milan after a 1-0 defeat in Italy, with social media villagers reaching for their torches and pitchforks to round him up. Much has changed since then.
England already had great players, a clear way of playing and years of building up resilience and team spirit under Southgate. Adding one of the best No.10s into that mix could be decisive.
