Bellingham, Zidane, Di Stéfano

It’s been little under two months since the new season got up and running and Jude Bellingham is already being compared to Zidane. Those comparisons go beyond the No.5 shirt that they both share in Real Madrid’s numerical history. They are the gestures, the graceful ball control, the corpulence disguised with elegance, the talent...

The 20-year-old from Stourbridge openly admitted the esteem in which he holds Zizou during his presentation last summer. Indeed, he specifically requested the No.5 shirt which had been worn for the previous two seasons by Jesús Vallejo - the defender was only too happy to let Jude have it.

“I really admire Zidane, his legacy at this club; now I have his number. But I am different. It’s a number that inspires me. 22 has been my number for a long time, but now I’ll wear the 5,” Bellingham acknowledged in his presentation as a Real Madrid fan. “The jersey itself is a great responsibility. Maybe it could put me in a difficult position, but I’ve always loved Zidane, and for me he’s been the best. Hopefully I can continue the legacy of the number,” he concluded.

A responsibility that he is handling with an efficiency, maturity and ease that turns the most optimistic a priori into a pessimist. During the pre-season, he scored a very Zidane-esque goal against Man United - the close control, trapping the ball then beating the keeper with a deft chip. That was the moment when the likeness was first mooted. Since then, there have been many more comparisons.

At Diego Armando Maradona Stadium, he strengthened the comparisons with Zizou and due to his ability as an all-rounder, he is also now being likened to another Madrid great. “Bellingham, from the midfield to attack is beginning to seriously remind me of Di Stéfano,” noted AS’ honorary president Alfredo Relaño in his daily column with this newspaper. “The elegant way in which he conducts the ball moving forward, the fierce and tireless determination to win the ball back. Half artist, half warrior. Madrid’s attacking game is organized around him, and even though he is always at the origin of the move, he is always there to finish it off”.

Earlier on Tuesday, in Carrusel Deportivo, Relaño had already made the link between the Englishman and the Saeta Rubia: “That is a classic Di Stéfano goal”. A goal that was so beautifully crafted, that even Vinicius wanted to photograph the celebration. A volcanic performance on the banks of Vesuvius.

It’s not just Bellingham’s eye for goals and skill that have drawn comparisons with Di Stéfano. Like the Madrid legend, he is everywhere - all over the pitch, dropping back to relieve the team, pressing as the team’s first line of defence even though he’s a forward. The equalizer against Napoli was a good example of that - Jude intercepted a poor delivery from Di Lorenzo and waited just for the right moment to lay the ball off to Vinicius. Recovery and assistance.

Eight goals and three assists in nine games and yet another MVP award. But, above all, character, the same word with which the British accompanied his post-victory festive publication. A quality that defined Di Stéfano and also a Jude who, in the eyes of Ancelotti, “looks like he is 30 years old” not 20. Bellingham arrived as the box-to-box player of the future and is establishing himself in real-time as a total footballer.

“Bellingham has shown what he is worth”

From Italy, the Gazzetta dello Sport summarized Bellingham’s performance with simplicity: “A spectacle.” While on the Sky Sports live broadcast, he won the praise of two legends. “Tonight, Bellingham has shown how much it is worth. He is a complete player, he lacks nothing. Class, impeccable timing, scoring ability, ball control... everything that only great champions have. It’s impossible to always mark him, because he has that altruistic sensitivity,” Fabio Capello enthused While Alessandro del Piero was lost for words when trying to describe him: “How can you define a footballer who is physically strong, good with his feet, who has a great personality, who scores goals playing as a midfielder? I don’t know..., give it whatever name you want.”

The stark reality is that Bellingham, beyond his goal and assist, also led Madrid in chances created (four), in completed dribbles (three, the same as Vinicius), in passes in the final third (16, like Tchouameni), in tackles (four, like Valverde) and in recoveries among outfield players (four, like Camavinga).

Ir says a lot that he ended topping the stats in charts in all of those areas. They said Di Stefano could play anywhere on the field, and that also applies to Bellingham. At least, as Relaño points out, from “midfield forward.” If Zidane, his idol, took 30 games to score eight goals, Jude has reached that figure in nine and the 14 he has set himself is beginning to look like a massive understatement. Ancelotti has not bet any amount with Bellingham but, if he had, he could rest easy. His coaching card would be safe and sound.