Bellingham named as future Real Madrid captain by Spanish press
Published: 09:20 GMT, 13 December 2024
Jude Bellingham has been named as a future Real Madrid captain by the Spanish press.
The England international has become one of Los Blancos' star players since his £113million move from Borussia Dortmund in 2023.
He led the club to La Liga and Champions League glory in a debut campaign to remember last season having scored 23 goals.
Bellingham started this season slowly but has once again returned to form by scoring six goals in his last six appearances across all competitions.
And Spanish outlet AS have not held back in their praise of the midfielder, naming him the 'new boss of Madrid'.
The publication claim he has what it takes to become Real's captain in the future given the work rate and leadership he has displayed over the past month and a half.
One of the outlet's reasonings is Bellingham's decision to take pressure off Kylian Mbappe earlier this month by taking the first penalty in their 2-0 win over Getafe, with the Frenchman then scoring the second spot-kick in the match.
Bellingham's all-action capabilities are also pointed out, with the 21-year-old a vital player in attack and defence given he has covered 59 kilometres in the Champions League so far this season, more than any of his team-mates.
During last weekend's 3-0 win at Girona, he told off Arda Guler for making a bad decision on the ball but went on to assist the youngster's goal, and Bellingham was later seen hugging him on the bench. The Turkish star is said to have been delighted.
Real are very happy with the Birmingham-born star. He has shown why he was a 'strategic signing', a label reserved only for players who are seen as the backbone of the team on the pitch as well as in the media.
Bellingham's latest goal came against Atalanta in midweek, with Real having went into the Champions League clash needing a win after falling behind their rivals and into a position that could see them drop out of Europe entirely.
His goal was particularly impressive as he dropped the shoulder to send the Atalanta defender stumbling before cutting onto his left and smashing the ball into the net as the Spanish giants went on to claim a 3-2 win.
After the match, Bellingham joined Micah Richards for an interview with CBS Sports, where the pundit couldn't help but dish out a big hug to the Madrid star.
Richards then asked Bellingham about the match against Atalanta and his recent prolific form in front of goal.