Jamie Carragher has showered praise on England starlet Jude Bellingham, comparing him to former England and Liverpool team-mate Steven Gerrard.
Bellingham England’s standout performer in QatarCarragher likened attributes to GerrardLabelled 19-year-old “frightening”
WHAT HAPPENED? Carragher joined the many plaudits for the 19-year-old after his spellbinding displays in England’s World Cup campaign. The former defender said Bellingham’s talent was “frightening” and that he possesses all the attributes to become the world’s greatest. He drew comparisons to former England stars that have shined at previous World Cups, although singled out Gerrard as his most similar player type.
WHAT THEY SAID: “We are watching the career of a freakishly good talent unfolding,” Carragher told The Telegraph. “It is frightening how good Bellingham is. If you were to build the prototype modern midfielder, he would be it. He has the physique and athleticism of a 27-year-old Gerrard, and has all the attributes you want in a footballer – tackling, passing, assisting and scoring.
“World Cups can turn great players into superstars. After Italia ’90, [Paul] Gazza [Gascgoine] became the most important player in the England squad. [Michael] Owen was the same after his goal against Argentina, the striker everyone hoped would fire the Golden Generation to glory. [Wayne] Rooney had the capacity to propel England forward from the moment he made his debut as a teenager. Now the same is true of Bellingham.”
THE BIGGER PICTURE: Carragher’s praise is far from unfounded, as Bellingham has arguably been Gareth Southgate’s standout player in Qatar. Aside from a one-game blip against the USMNT where almost every England player underperformed, Bellingham has dazzled in a midfield where he has been given the freedom to shine, producing performances that go beyond the mere goal and assist he has recorded so far in Qatar.
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DID YOU KNOW? Aged 19 years and 158 days, Bellingham became the youngest player to assist in a World Cup game for England (since 1966) in the last-16 victory over Senegal.
WHAT NEXT FOR BELLINGHAM? The 19-year-old will likely feature in a blockbuster quarter-final matchup against holders France on Saturday.
