Erling Haaland has captured much of the attention at Borussia Dortmund this season, and rightly so, but Jude Bellingham also deserves plenty of plaudits.
The 17-year-old has been impressive in both the Bundesliga and the Champions League, playing a starring role in their route to the quarter-finals – where they will meet Man City.
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In the second leg of their 5-4 aggregate win over Sevilla, Bellingham put up some unbelievable stats.
He won the most duals, the most tackles and was the most fouled player on the pitch against Sevilla.
He also had 51 touches of the ball, made eight recoveries, completed two take-ons, made two clearances and was not dribbled past once.
Those impressive numbers are no fluke. He’s been doing it all season.
The midfielder has been rewarded with an England call-up by Gareth Southgate and could feature in the World Cup qualifiers – starting with San Marino tonight, live on talkSPORT.
Bellingham became the most expensive 17-year-old in world football when he moved to Dortmund for £25million last summer.
He had been courted by Manchester United – even touring their training ground and being met by Sir Alex Ferguson – but opted to continue his development in Germany having already established himself as one of the best talents in the Championship with Birmingham.
It’s proved a shrewd move so far, with the teenager excelling at Dortmund despite a difficult season for the team as a whole.
Jude Bellingham's stats this season
Games: 35
Minutes: 2010
Goals: 1
Assists: 4
Shots: 33
Passes completed: 897
Pass completion %: 83.5
Tackles: 62
Blocks: 45
Interceptions: 17
European football journalist Andy Brassell has watched Bellingham closely this season and told talkSPORT.com just how impressive he has been.
“If you ask a lot of Dortmund fans who their best midfield player is, a lot of them will say Jude Bellingham, ahead of the likes of Thomas Delaney and Axel Witsel, which is really remarkable,” he said.
“Not only is he really gifted, he’s strong, aggressive, and he doesn’t look like a 17-year-old. In a funny way, you can almost tell his background is from playing Sunday league football because he’ll just put his foot in!
“He’s a very forward, physical, responsible player and there are so many sides to him. He’s terrific already but he can get so much better.
“Let’s bear in mind that he cost more than three times the amount of Jadon Sancho and when he signed for Dortmund, they sent four different cars to get him. It was such a big deal. Basically they put him one car and the other three went elsewhere to sort of throw the press a dummy. It was like the Beatles had arrived!
“He’s had to deal with a level of expectation that Sancho never had to experience because he came after him, cost more money and because the club have created a lot of the fuss around him. He’s been able to handle all that and he’s been very consistent as well.”
So far this season, Bellingham has made 22 league appearances, providing three assists, and has featured eight times in the Champions League.
Such is the trust of his manager Edin Terzić that he played the full 90 minutes against Sevilla in a crucial clash.
Bellingham is not 18 until June 29 and was included in Southgate’s England squad for the World Cup qualifiers – after receiving late permission from the German government to travel.
England face San Marino, Albania and Poland this week and Bellingham will look to stake his claim for a spot in the European Championship.
He was handed his full international debut by Southgate in November, coming on against the Republic of Ireland to become the third youngest player to feature for England, behind only Wayne Rooney and Theo Walcott.
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A first start for the Three Lions cannot be far away.
“It’s a possibility simply because I don’t think England have a lot of midfield players who can do what he does,” Brassell said of his chances of playing at the Euros.
“There are a lot of number ten type players, which is weird because England famously don’t produce enough of those kind of players.
“But Bellingham is more your engine room kind of player. He can be a box-to-box player but I think there are a number of different roles for him.
“With players as young as him you wonder if they’ll be able to cope with the physicality. I don’t think that’s even a question with Bellingham.
“When you play over 50 games a season for a number of years then it will take a toll but Bellingham’s performance level hasn’t really dipped.
“Even though they’re not alike as players at all, Bellingham’s a little bit like Wayne Rooney. When Rooney came through to the Everton team as a 16-year-old he never really looked like a kid.
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“He had the build and strength that made you think he can handle himself and I think it’s exactly the same with Jude Bellingham.
“With both of them, you’d imagine that if they weren’t pro players they’d be playing Saturday, Sunday and probably twice at Goals during the week. They’re just machines and so into it. They’re quite different players but they’re cut from the same cloth.”
Rooney went on to become an England legend after getting his breakthrough as a teen. It would be little surprise if Bellingham did the same.
But Danny Mills warned that we should not expect too much of him too soon and that England should not be relying on him at the Euros.
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“He deserves to be in there,” Mills told talkSPORT. “You have to look back at what Dele Alli achieved, he played a lot of games in the Championship, got his move, and then was straight into the England squad.
“Jude Bellingham is similar in that way. He’s probably in the squad at the moment because there are lots and lots of players out injured and not available.
“But, if that’s why he’s got his chance and gets an opportunity, then he’s got every right to take it.
“Defensively, we’ve got issues and you look at all the players we’ve got out in midfield, and the injury list is lengthy and that’s being generous.
“A lot of the best players are out or are out of form at the moment.
“You’re going into the Euros expecting a teenager to be one of the stars and go and win the tournament.
“Come on, hang on a minute. We’ve got to reign it in a little bit. That doesn’t happen. It’s not Messi.”
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