Real Madrid defender Antonio Rudiger has tipped Jude Bellingham as the future captain of the England national team.
The 20-year-old midfielder joined Los Blancos last summer from Borussia Dortmund and has already established himself as one of the club’s top players, jointly leading the La Liga scoring charts with 16 goals and another four in the Champions League.
Rudiger also praised Bellingham for his maturity which many claim is well above his current age.
“Honestly I was a bit surprised at first because I didn’t know much about him, my goodness,” Rudiger said ahead of Madrid’s Champions League first leg quarter-final with Manchester City.
“He’s got a huge personality, unbelievable, in the dressing room as well. He’s 20 years old but you have the feeling that he’s experienced everything in life. He’s very mature for his age and that’s why I’m not surprised. He’s a great player.
“I’m sure he’s going to be a leader. He’s a very mature player. He’s a professional in everything that he does and a very good team-mate. We have to pray that he stays as healthy as he is. He has wonderful parents who keep his feet on the ground off the pitch”.
🦿 @BellinghamJude 🦿#RMCity pic.twitter.com/iX7UnZQPrN
— Real Madrid C.F. 🇬🇧🇺🇸 (@realmadriden) April 8, 2024
Speaking on Bellingham, Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti said: “He’s having a very good season in the penalty box. He’s physically very strong and he’s helping us a lot in the defensive aspects and up front to create space and provide movement.
“He’s very mature. He’s only 20 years old, but he’s very professional, very serious and humble. He didn’t surprise us as a player, but he surprised us as a person, because his head is very mature for his age.”
Both Madrid and City will be aiming to reach the Champions League semis for the fourth straight time after eliminating each other at that stage in the past two seasons with either side going on to lift the title.
