Michael Owen has admitted he was wrong in thinking Jude Bellingham's energy was a symptom of inexperience - adding that the Liverpool transfer target's selfless nature makes him loved among managers and team0mates.
Bellingham has long been on the radar of Europe's top clubs but rose to stardom for his performances during England's run to the World Cup quarter-finals in Qatar. The 19-year-old scored his first international goal in the 6-2 win against Iran and often drove the Three Lions forward with his powerful running and relentless pressing.
That seemingly infinite energy has always been present at Borussia Dortmund can often be mistaken for the inexperience of a young player trying to do too much. That was the belief of Owen. But, having thought about it more, the former Liverpool striker admitted that, rather than youthful naivety, it is proof of Bellingham's grounded and selfless nature.
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“He’s got attributes that make him a complete midfielder,” Owen told T he Telegraph . “We don’t see him every week because he’s out in the Bundesliga, but what struck me was how giving he is.
“By that, I mean he plays for the team, not himself. He does almost too much and at first I thought, ‘Jeez, Jude, you’re wasting energy covering too much ground because of your inexperience’.
“I was wrong, the more I watch him, I love the way he plays. A lot of people, when they become very good, it almost becomes uncool to do the hard yards and the stuff you don’t really get loads of praise for.
“He is so grounded, he does good things, great runs and scores goals, but when players make a name for themselves they sometimes save their energy for the big, headline-grabbing moments.
“He does the stuff managers and team-mates really notice. I hope he keeps the hunger to do all the nasty jobs. He works his nuts off. I’ve fallen in love with him.”
Part of Bellingham's ever-growing pull is his competency across the the various midfield roles. In the age of specialisation, where young players hone in on mastering one position - defensive destroyer, box-to-box, creative midfielder, deep-lying playmaker - the Dortmund and England star can do it all.
And Owen has drawn comparisons to fellow ex-Red Steven Gerrard in his ability to cover every position and master every role across the middle of the park.
“We’ve got coaches in academies now telling kids that is their position, almost coaching other things out of their game to fit that rigid position. It’s been happening for the last 20 years," Owen added.
“Bellingham is different. He can play anywhere in midfield and do everything. In my day, you normally played with a two in midfield and you had to be an all-rounder, but we’ve lost those players because you normally have a midfield three. That requires specific positions because it needs a balance. I played with one of the best all-round midfielders around in Steven Gerrard, and six was not his position. If you asked him to do that, you were chopping off his legs, as it were.
“So many people can do a six job, not many can do everything. Gerrard was too good to not go forward, score and create goals. Jude is the same.”
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