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Steven Gerrard has revealed he believes that Jude Bellingham is ‘ahead’ of where he was at 19 years of age after England’s win over Ukraine.
Bellingham once again impressed for the Three Lions on Sunday evening, providing some much-needed class and creativity in midfield for England as they cruised to their second consecutive win of their Euro 2024 qualifying campaign.
During Bellingham’s post-match interview with Channel 4‘s punditry panel – which Gerrard was a part of alongside Jill Scott, Joe Cole and Andriy Shevchenko – Gerrard was asked about comparisons between himself and the talented Dortmund midfielder, and he admitted that he believes Bellingham is currently a better player than he was as a teenager, stating:
“Well let me tell you, you’re a lot further ahead than I was at your age. So you’re going in the right direction, that’s for sure.
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“For one he’s got a better body than what I had at 19. No, I’m being serious! I never had that power and strength until I was 22-23. So he’s definitely more physically developed than me. He’s more confident than me on the ball, in terms of trying stuff. I’m not just saying that to be modest, but I think he’s further on than what I was at 19.
“Don’t get me wrong, I got to where I wanted to get to, and he’s going to get to where he wants to if he keeps doing what he’s doing. He’s a fantastic player. He just needs to keep playing well, keep playing well and the rest will take care of itself.”
Bellingham was also hugely complimentary of Gerrard, hailing the Liverpool legend as his ‘idol’ growing up:
“The way he could carry teams, the teams he played for, the way he could single-handedly win a game. He could do everything as a midfielder. I’ve said multiple times that [my idol] is you.”
Bellingham is set to be the most talked about player during the upcoming summer transfer window, with Liverpool, Real Madrid and Man City all vying for the midfielder’s signature.
Liverpool, like City and Real Madrid, have been talking with Bellingham’s representatives for a number of months.
As it stands, 90min understands that BVB are holding out for a record fee in order to sell Bellingham this summer and believe that they are in a strong position to offer the midfielder an extension to stay at the club for another season.
