Declan Rice has explained why Jude Bellingham is one of Europe's most coveted players amid interest from Chelsea. The 19-year-old has been heavily linked with a move to the Premier League since he first made a name for himself at Birmingham City.
Bellingham has been subject to long-term interest from the Blues, football.london understand. The west Londoners watched the England international during his time as an academy player but, after failing to act on their interest, Borussia Dortmund swooped in and welcomed the teenage sensation to the Signal Iduna Park.
The midfielder, who sees his contract with the German giants expire in 2025, completed 90 minutes in each of the Three Lions' UEFA Nations League clashes, directly contributing to a goal. Despite his impressive displays alongside Rice in England's pivot, Gareth Southgate's side were relegated from League A.
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And, after having further strengthened a bond with Bellingham in midfield, the West Ham star sung the Chelsea transfer target's praises. Following England's 3-3 draw with Germany, as quoted by The Mirror, Rice said: "I don't think I've seen anyone as good as he is for 19.
"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 detailing Bellingham's exceptional mental and physical attributes which have handed him a huge boost in the early stages of his career. The Hammers captain 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 naming 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."
According to The Athletic, Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United and Real Madrid are all interest in Bellingham. The report adds that Dortmund want to hold onto the youngster, who has been valued at €150million (£131million). It's said that Bellingham does not have a release clause in his deal which can be activated.
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