Wayne Rooney, the former Manchester United striker, holds a strong belief that Jude Bellingham possesses the qualities necessary to become the future captain of the England national team.
The young midfield prodigy, who made a high-profile transfer from Bundesliga's Borussia Dortmund to Real Madrid last summer, has consistently been in the spotlight due to his outstanding performances for both his club and the national team. He recently delivered another exceptional display in England's 3-1 victory over Italy at Wembley.
Nevertheless, Rooney, who has assumed the managerial role at Birmingham, the club where Bellingham honed his skills and even had his jersey number retired, stressed that the 20-year-old is destined for greatness on the field. Still, he emphasised the importance of providing support during periods when Bellingham may not be in peak form.
'Jude has the potential to be one of the best if not the best if he keeps going the way he is going,' said Rooney as the Mail quoted. '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.
'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.'
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