Phil Foden nails Jude Bellingham prediction ahead of crucial Champions League meeting

Phil Foden knew Jude Bellingham was destined for the very top after being wowed while training alongside him with England.

Two of England’s most talented players will meet in the quarter-finals of the Champions League on Tuesday when Manchester City play Real Madrid. The defending champions face a tough test away against the Spanish giants, who have lost just one of their last 35 games in all competitions.

Bellingham has four goals and four assists in the Champions League this season and will be leading the charge for Carlo Ancelotti’s side. He has been in supreme form since trading Borussia Dortmund for Real in an £88million transfer last summer, immediately becoming one of his side’s key players.

The 20-year-old midfielder has been tipped for stardom for some time, but the speed of his ascent has surprised some. Not Foden though, who made a bald call after watching Bellingham star in England’s 3-0 win over Senegal in the last-16 at the 2022 World Cup.

“I don’t want to big him up because he’s still young but he’s one of the most gifted players I’ve ever seen,” he said. “I don’t see any weaknesses in his game, I think he’s got everything and I’m sure he’s going to be the best midfielder in the world.”

Bellingham has 20 goals and 10 assists in 32 matches for Real so far and has a strong claim to being their player of the season. He has nearly caught up with the 24 goals he netted for Dortmund, despite playing 100 games fewer and Real defender Antonio Rudiger admitted he was surprised by how quickly he settled upon arrival.

“At the beginning I was a bit surprised. I didn’t know much about him, to be honest,” he said. “But wow, he’s a big personality in our locker room and that's massive. The way he handles himself is very good.

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