Jude Bellingham has enjoyed a rapid rise since joining Borussia Dortmund back in 2020 - and he almost received the ultimate recognition at the Ballon d'Or ceremony earlier this week.
The England star was one of the candidates in contention for the prestigious Golden Boy award at the lavish bash in Paris on Monday night. But unfortunately, he was pipped to the trophy by Barcelona wonderkid Gavi.
Bellingham did, however, receive a glowing endorsement from Lionel Messi, who selected the 19-year-old as his third-choice pick in the votes. Getting the seal of approval from Messi, a former seven time Ballon d'Or winner, is no mean feat - and Bellingham vindicated the Argentine's verdict with another dazzling display for Dortmund on Saturday afternoon.
Bellingham was instrumental as the German outfit romped to a 5-0 win against Stuttgart and netted twice, including one stunner. Niklas Sule, Giovanni Reyna and 17-year-old Youssoufa Moukoko were also on target for Edin Terzic's side, who have moved up to fourth in the Bundesliga.
Bellingham has caught the eye in Europe this term, but had failed to score in the league until Saturday's match. His brace against Stuttgart now means the talented teenager has already bagged eight goals in all competitions this term: two more than he amassed during the entirety of the 2021/22 campaign.
Bellingham's impressive form has, unsurprisingly, caught the attention of some of Europe's biggest clubs - including Liverpool, who are believed to be keen on striking a deal for the midfielder's services next summer.
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After selling Erling Haaland to Manchester City, Dortmund were never likely to entertain any offers for Bellingham - although clubs will surely put that stance to the test next summer. Despite persistent speculation over his future, Bellingham has insisted on more than one occasion that he is not thinking about anything other than life at Borussia Dortmund.
"I think all of it has been a bit of a surprise. I didn't think I'd have the impact quite like I have. I thought I'd have to wait longer. The coaches have thrown me in at the deep end and given me the chance to learn," he told BBC Sport.
"I had qualities I didn't know I had, it's all down to them. I feel like a lot of aspects of my game have improved - defensively, offensively, as a leader off the pitch too. The club have done loads for me and made me feel very welcome since I first came.
"And gave me the opportunities to develop even further. To look past that and into the future would be disrespectful. It's not something I am thinking about, to be honest."
