Real Madrid’s recent 2-1 win over Barcelona at Santiago Bernabeu on Sunday was a special one for Jude Bellingham.
The young midfielder, who has been struggling with a slow start to the season, managed to score his first league goal of the season, whcih turned out to be the winner.
Apart from his goal, Bellingham was a key operator in the Real Madrid midfield, notably registering an assist as well while dominating his Barcelona counterparts with his aggressive style of play.
In the wake of Bellingham’s performance against Barcelona, English footballing legend Wayne Rooney heaped praise on the Real Madrid midfielder.
Rooney is particularly impressed with Bellingham’s attitude and aggression, which are a crucial part of his game.
"You need players who have that [ Bellingham’s] attitude, and I don’t mean attitude in a bad way," he told BBC.
"That attitude to walk on the pitch and look at the opponents and say: ‘You know what, I’m better than you’," he added.
Bellingham has indeed shown leadership qualities since the early days of his career. In fact, he was notably a part of Borussia Dortmund’s inner leadership group even when he was a teenager.
Now at Real Madrid, Bellingham’s dominating personality makes him a key leader for Los Blancos.
Rooney believes Bellingham’s attitude and mentality are not necessarily a bad thing and are a crucial part of his gameplay.
"It’s not a bad thing, and Jude has that, we’ve seen it since a very young age and he’s still very young," he concluded.
Rooney’s words of encouragement could serve as a real confidence booster for Bellingham as he looks to capitalise on his performance against Barcelona to come roaring back in form.