Football news - Jude Bellingham: Jordan Henderson concedes England teammate is far better than he was aged 18
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ByEurosport
Updated 07/09/2021 at 10:28 GMT
Jordan Henderson thinks Jude Bellingham has a bright future in the England setup and believes the 18-year-old's maturity and all-round play means he can play a key role for the Three Lions at the 2022 World Cup and beyond. Henderson also thinks Bellingham is a far better player than he was when he was 18.
Jude Bellingham (L) and Jordan Henderson (R)
Image credit: Getty Images
Jordan Henderson believes England teammate Jude Bellingham has a bright future and that he is "miles ahead" of the player he was aged 18.
The Liverpool captain played alongside the Borussia Dortmund midfielder in their 4-0 win over Andorra at Wembley last weekend.
Bellingham picked up his eighth cap on Sunday and became the youngest man to play for England at a major tournament at Euro 2020.
Henderson thinks Bellingham will only get even better with age.
"He's a fantastic player," the 31-year-old told reporters ahead of England's World Cup qualifier against Poland on Wednesday.
"Even at such a young age he shows fantastic maturity on and off the field. You can see how hungry he is to be a top player and has all the attributes to do that.
"I was trying to help as much as I could but to be honest he is a top player who has shown that in the big games for Dortmund. I see him going from strength to strength all the time.
"I don't want to praise him too much and put too much pressure on him but he has a very good head on his shoulders, I'm told he has good people around him and a good family, and you can see that is an important part of him.
I think he will be a top player going forward.
Henderson believes Bellingham can play an important role at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
"He could, he looks ready," he said.
"Even at such a young age he looks ready to play in the big games. I watch him for Dortmund and the way he performs is outstanding.
"He showed again what he can bring. A year down the line he is only going to get better so he could have a big influence.
Henderson added: "He is miles ahead of me when I was that age.
"But for me I'd say for him to just keep doing what he's doing. Keep working hard every day in training, stay focused on what you want to achieve.
"He's already got that and good people around him. Just keep your feet on the ground and concentrate on football. If he does that and stays fit he'll be a top player.
"He already is a top player but he'll go from strength to strength in the next years."
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