Jude Bellingham leaves Alan Shearer making Liverpool…

Jude Bellingham leaves Alan Shearer making Liverpool transfer claim after England goal

Alan Shearer believes it's "only a matter of time" before Jude Bellingham secures a transfer to a "huge club like Real Madrid or Liverpool".

And Micah Richards believes there is 'no limit' as to how high Bellingham can go as he and fellow pundits Shearer and Rio Ferdinand heaped praise on the Liverpool-linked star.

Bellingham was picked to start his first ever World Cup game as England kicked off their World Cup campaign against Iran on Monday, and it took him just 35 minutes to open his account with a glancing header that floated into the far corner. The midfielder was just 14 when Gareth Southgate's Three Lions made it to the semi-finals in Russia, but his development since moving to Germany with Dortmund in 2020 has seen him become one of the most in-demand players in the world.

This season has seen the 19-year-old add goals and leadership qualities to an already excellent all-round game, with nine goals scored across all competitions and the responsibility of the captain's armband on occasion a sign of Dortmund manager Edin Terzic's trust in the teenager.

And speaking before England kicked off their tournament against Iran, former Manchester City right-back Richards reserved high praise for Bellingham with claims that his ceiling has no bounds.

"He’s outstanding, every time I watch him," Richards said. "In the Euros I thought he should be playing then but I didn’t want it to come too early for him. But now is his time to shine, what he’s doing at Dortmund week in, week out, I’ve watched his game and how he’s improved from being good on the ball to runs to his defensive work.

"I think he’s got absolute everything, he’s got everything in his game, he needs to keep his feet on the ground then there’s no limits to where he can go."

Rio Ferdinand added: "I don’t think I’ve ever seen a player in our country speak so eloquently at his age, at this level, he’s captain material. His game matches it but also he can do anything in there, speaking to youth coaches, he can play in the six, equally as good in the eight and almost in the 10. How it gets packaged up will determine where he goes."

Bellingham has often been praised for his bravery in making the move to Germany when top-tier English clubs were calling. Manchester United famously invited the teenager to their training complex with a welcoming party that included Sir Alex Ferguson and Eric Cantona, but the then-Birmingham City starlet opted for a better chance at regular minutes with the reputable Dortmund.

And Shearer detailed how the midfielder's decision to do so has given him valuable experience, and the former Newcastle United man added that it won't be long until he 'goes on to a huge club like Real Madrid or Liverpool'.

"It’s given him great experience [playing regularly for Dortmund], letting him understand the game, know the game and I think it’s worked for him perfectly and his career," Shearer added. "It’s only a matter of time before he goes on to a huge club like Real Madrid or Liverpool because that’s the talent that you’re talking about. First and foremost to be an England captain you have to perform on the football pitch but the way he carries himself, the way he talks, it’s fantastic."

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