Gareth Southgate, the manager of the England national football team, recently discussed the exceptional qualities of Jude Bellingham, the talented midfielder from RealMadrid. Southgate emphasized that despite Bellingham’s young age, he possesses an impressive and resilient mindset, which is crucial for success at the international level.
This standout midfielder has surprised many by excelling in front of the goal, becoming thetop scorer for Real Madrid with five goals, even though his primary role is in midfield. In addition, Bellingham has contributed to the team’s overall performance by providing an assist, resulting in his involvement in 75% of his team’s goals in the four games played this season.
“Bellingham is currently away on international duty, getting ready for England’s upcoming match against Ukraine on Saturday. During a pre-game interview, Southgate emphasized that Bellingham possesses a unique talent that cannot be compared to other players like Paul Scholes and Bryan Robson.
 According to Southgate, while Bellingham may share similarities in his late box arrival, it is more important to focus on Bellingham being his own player rather than trying to find similarities with others. Southgate believes that Bellingham should be recognized as the first of his kind and should not be measured by the standards set by other players.
“He moves forward purposefully, reminiscent of a box-to-box midfielder from the past. However, in today’s game where players have more specific positions and patterns of play, it is important to utilize his skills to get him involved in the game. Any midfielder who can score goals or make forward movements is especially valuable,” the Three Lions coach stated.
Additionally, the midfielder possesses strong emotional intelligence and displays a level of maturity beyond his years, according to Southgate. “He has an impressive level of maturity and emotional intelligence, particularly for someone his age, and has adapted well to a dressing room with world-class players and an interesting dynamic,” he elaborated.
He is supposed to replace them eventually, but he has shown great respect for his teammates off the field and has competed fiercely during training and games to prove his worth as a skilled player. When he initially joined us, he found the perfect balance between respect and competition, and I am confident that he has continued to do so while he has been with them.
 Southgate also commented on Bellingham’s transformation at Madrid, highlighting the shift in his playing style due to the team’s loss of the prolific goalscorer, Karim Benzema. Eventually, Southgate acknowledged that he wasn’t taken aback by the developments.
“He has been required to display a different facet of his game as he played in a more advanced position following the departure of [Karim] Benzema. His style naturally complements forward runs and box arrivals, and it’s pleasing to see him scoring more goals from our perspective.
“I’m not entirely surprised by this, considering his personality, composure, and competitive nature. The unpredictability lies in how the team plays and whether the initial role suits you,” he concluded.
