Declan Rice and Kieran Trippier are in agreement that Jude Bellingham has a bright future ahead of him. The 19-year-old has been heavily linked with a move to the Premier League for a while now as he continues to impress for club and country.
Bellingham is set to play a key role for England at the World Cup later this month, starting all but one of the Three Lions' previous seven fixtures. While Gareth Southgate's side only won one of which and head into the tournament winless in six, the midfielder left a lasting impression on his teammates with a goal against Germany.
Following England's dramatic 3-3 draw with Hansi Flick's side, Rice sung the praises of the Chelsea transfer target. As quoted by The Mirror, the West Ham captain said: "I don't think I've seen anyone as good as he is for 19.
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"I look at a lot of 19 year-olds, whether it's at a club, around the world, around the country. To have the whole package is a hard thing … and I feel like he's got that."
Rice continued by noting Bellingham's mental and physical attributes which have handed him a huge boost in the early stages of his career. He said: "He's 19 but he's got the body of a 28-year-old - he's a man.
"He thinks like a man, plays like a man and shows personality and character. I've been around and played so many more games than he has in my career but you can just tell as a 19-year-old what he brings to the team already, the energy he's got.
"He can play in a holding role, he can play as an eight, he can play as a 10," he added. "He's a man - you can see it when he plays for Dortmund.
"As a 19-year-old, you're normally scared to talk to the referee but he's in the referee's face demanding answers, demanding decisions and he leaves himself on the pitch constantly. He really pushes you on the pitch. We push each other on and it's a privilege to play next to him.
"Every time I play with Jude, we're building that connection and I say to him 'you go and bomb on and do your attacking stuff and I'll sit here and defend for you'. So we're getting that good connection, he's great to play with."
Rice concluded by branding Bellingham as the future of English football. He said: "Hopefully, he keeps flourishing. He's the future of English football to come for the next 15 years."
In an interview with ‘Under the Cosh’, Trippier sung Bellingham's praises from the same hymn sheet. The Newcastle defender said: "Top. For such a young guy, he’s what 18? Him and Phil [Foden] are unbelievable.
"He’s just so mature for his age, the way he plays, the way he manages his game. He’s world class now. He’s unbelievable."
Bellingham has been subject to long-term interest from the Blues, football.london understand. The west Londoners watched the midfielder during his time as an academy player at Birmingham City but, after failing to act on their interest, Borussia Dortmund swooped in and signed the wonderkid instead.
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