Jude Bellingham has admitted Liverpool legend Steven Gerrard was his England idol when growing up.
The Borussia Dortmund midfielder, who the Reds are strong admirers of, has spoken of his admiration for the ex- Liverpool captain in the past and was keen to praise him once more ahead of the Three Lions' opening World Cup fixture versus Iran this afternoon.
Often compared to Gerrard due to his box-to-box playing style and leadership qualities when on the pitch, the 19-year-old's rise within the game has not gone unnoticed as his current employers prepare for big-money offers to secure the services of the Birmingham City academy graduate.
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Asked to name who his England hero was when recalling his memories of the World Cup, Bellingham told BBC Sport : “Gerrard was probably my biggest one. The character he has besides football is world-class, and then you add on his ability - it’s a joke."
Gerrard has publicly declared his respect for the teenage star, most recently describing him as the one to watch at the World Cup. "I'll be focusing my attention on England," he said. "I'm really excited to watch Jude Bellingham, I'm a massive fan of him. I think the next 10 or 15 years, he's going to become an England superstar."
Explaining what it means to hear such praise from a player he holds in such high esteem and how he feels about being compared to Gerrard, Bellingham responded: “When your heroes take the time to appreciate what you’ve done, it is really special. I’m not sure how I feel [about Gerrard comparisons] because it’s almost disrespectful to him with all he has achieved in the game. To say that, after three years, we have similarities. I think I just want to be Jude and go on my own path. What he did was amazing and if I can even get close to what he did, then I’ve done well."
Bellingham started England's World Cup opener against Iran on Monday, breaking the deadlock with a brilliant Gerrard-like header.
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