Keane impressed by Bellingham’s dominance
Jude Bellingham produced another outstanding performance to underline why he is already one of the most important players in the England national team.
In England’s emphatic 7–0 Nations League victory over Croatia, the Real Madrid midfielder scored once and provided three assists, with his display drawing widespread praise in England.
Former Manchester United captain Roy Keane was particularly impressed. Speaking in the ITV studio after the match, he was full of praise for the 23-year-old midfielder.
“He looked like a grown man playing against little kids,” Keane said, describing the physical and technical superiority Bellingham showed on the pitch.
England completely outplayed Croatia in Rijeka, with the 7–0 defeat also becoming the heaviest loss in the history of the Croatian national team.
“It’s not just what he does on the ball”
For Keane, Bellingham’s biggest strength is not simply his technique, goals or ability to create chances. The former Republic of Ireland international was especially impressed by the midfielder’s work when England were out of possession.
Keane believes that side of his game is what separates Bellingham from many other attacking players. Despite already being one of the biggest stars for both Real Madrid and England, his willingness to press, track back and work for the team also has a major influence on those around him.
“When you’ve got a player who is that good on the ball, plays for Real Madrid, but still works that hard without it, it inspires everyone else,” Keane said, adding that Bellingham already has an important leadership role within the England squad.
England manager Thomas Tuchel was also pleased with the way his team performed both in and out of possession, describing the victory over Croatia as a “complete performance”.
Keane goes even further: Bellingham could become one of the all-time greats
Keane’s strongest statement, however, came when discussing just how far Bellingham could go in his career.
“I think there is still so much more to come from him. Bellingham could become one of the greatest footballers of all time,” Keane said.
It is an extraordinary assessment of a player who is still only 23 years old, but Bellingham has already gained significant experience at the highest level of both club and international football.
Against Croatia, he was directly involved in four goals, becoming the first England midfielder since David Platt in 1993 to register four direct goal contributions in a single international match.
Bellingham is increasingly being given a freer role behind Harry Kane, allowing him to operate between the lines, make runs into the penalty area and influence the game from several different positions.
That tactical freedom was one of the key reasons his performance against Croatia looked so dominant.
