In Thomas Tuchel’s inaugural England lineup, Jude Bellingham made history by earning his 41st senior cap, breaking the record for the most caps by a player aged 21 or under—a milestone previously owned by Wayne Rooney.

Despite Bellingham’s reputation for adeptness, the Real Madrid midfielder still faces restrictions when it comes to renting a car in this country. Arsenal’s newcomer Myles Lewis-Skelly was the sole player in the starting lineup against Albania younger than Bellingham. Nonetheless, like Rooney, Bellingham exudes a level of authority typically seen in much more seasoned players, mirroring this with his impressive number of caps.

Although Rooney’s dazzling rise to fame could be argued to have shone even brighter than Bellingham’s in the early days of his England career, Sven-Goran Eriksson, the England manager at the time, drew few raised eyebrows when he likened the 18-year-old striker to the legendary Pele during Euro 2004. Rooney’s extraordinary skill propelled England into the tournament’s quarter-finals until he had to bow out with an injury before their penalty shootout exit to Portugal.

Two decades on, Bellingham’s goals helped England reach the final of Euro 2024 – although they were once again beaten by an Iberian opponent, on this occasion Spain.

Rooney boasted a then-record haul of 40 caps by the time he turned 22 in October 2007. Bellingham surpassed the Manchester United icon’s tally against Albania and could feasibly wind up with 43 senior appearances before he celebrates his birthday at the end of June.

Despite seemingly being from different eras, Rooney and Bellingham did briefly cross paths on the pitch, going head-to-head, toe to blood-soaked toe for more than an hour in England’s second tier during the lockdown summer of 2020.

Rooney, who by then was at the tail-end of his playing career at 34, was impressed by a player half his age. “I was at Derby and he was at Birmingham,” the senior figure recalled. “I was playing deep in midfield controlling the game and he man-marked me. I kept dragging him outside and he didn’t like it. What I love about him is that when he goes in for a tackle, he leaves a mark on me, a bit like I would.”

The similarities are not accidental. When Bellingham was crowned the best player aged 21 or under in the world in 2023, he hailed Rooney as his “biggest influence growing up”, reasoning: “Being from England, the way he played, the way he fought.”