Wayne Rooney says Jude Bellingham has the potential to be one of England’s best ever players… but warns the midfielder, 20, will need protecting if his form dips
- Wayne Rooney believes the sky is the limit for Blues prodigy Jude Bellingham
- The midfielder enhanced his reputation with a stellar performance against Italy
- Listen to the latest episode of Mail Sport’s podcast It’s All Kicking Off!
Wayne Rooney has backed Jude Bellingham to be England’s next captain on his way to becoming one of football’s all-time greats.
Bellingham is England’s most exciting player since Rooney made his international debut as a 17-year-old, with the Real Madrid star enhancing his reputation with another stellar performance in the 3-1 win over Italy at Wembley on Tuesday.
Rooney is now in charge of Birmingham, where Bellingham was moulded as a footballer. He believes the sky is the limit for the Blues prodigy but warned he must be supported properly when difficult times come.
‘Jude has the potential to be one of the best if not the best if he keeps going the way he is going,’ said former international skipper Rooney, who won 120 caps. ‘We have to really support him because in my eyes he is a future captain of England.
‘He has really impressed with how he handles himself, how he speaks, how he is on the pitch. He plays as a leader already at 20. He is someone we need to protect and look after for the future of England.
Jude Bellingham enhanced his reputation with another stellar performance against Italy
Wayne Rooney is now in charge of Birmingham, where Bellingham was moulded as a player
‘It’s difficult for a young player when you have a dip in form or issues off the pitch, it’s difficult to blank that noise out. He’s at Real Madrid. One bad game, they can be on you.
‘There’s a lot of pressure playing for England as well so it’s important he is close to the people around him and simplifies things. He’s in the form of his life. If he does dip, let’s all get behind him.
‘He is 20 but he has probably had the career of a 24-25-year-old with the number of big games he’s played.
‘The most important thing for him is to enjoy it and keep enjoying it.’
Rooney takes charge of his first game as Blues boss tomorrow/on Saturday, against Middlesbrough – with his former Manchester United team-mate Michael Carrick in the opposite dugout.
Your browser does not support iframes.
Bellingham broke on to the scene at Birmingham before moving to Borussia Dortmund in 2020
The pair remain close friends and Rooney revealed Carrick consulted him before deciding to take the Boro job.
But their rapport will mean nothing for two hours at the Riverside.
Rooney added: ‘We have special memories of our playing days but I want to beat him.
‘I don’t want to see him smiling at 5pm on Saturday. But of course there is great respect and it would be nice to have a good chat after the game, whatever the result.’
IT’S ALL KICKING OFF!
It’s All Kicking Off is an exciting new podcast from Mail Sport that promises a different take on Premier League football, launching with a preview show today and every week this season.
It is available on MailOnline, Mail+, YouTube , Apple Music and Spotify
Your browser does not support iframes.
Source: Read Full Article