Jude Bellingham picks unlikely name as “the most gifted player” in Real Madrid squad

Real Madrid are through to the Champions League round-of-16 after a comprehensive 3-1 win over Manchester City on Wednesday.

The Spanish giants had a 3-2 lead from the first leg in England and cruised to victory at the Santiago Bernabéu , thanks to a stunning hat-trick from Kylian Mbappé. The Frenchman has found real form in Madrid but it was the performance of his teammate, Rodrygo Goes, that caught the eye of pundits on the post-match analysis.

Former Arsenal and Barcelona striker Thierry Henry was a part of the Paramount+ coverage and spoke to Jude Bellingham after the game. Specifically, he asked Bellingham about the role that Rodrygo plays in this Madrid side.

Henry asked: “Please can you talk about this guy, Rodrygo. Because no one talks about him but his work rate and his skills, what he does for the team... Unbelievable.”

Bellingham replied: “Rodrygo is so underrated. I think, for me, he’s probably the most talented and most gifted player in the squad. The things he can do with the football... We’ll be messing around and he’ll flick the ball up somehow and you’ll be like, ‘How did you do that?’.

“Another thing to mention is that he is the one that sacrifices the most," Bellingham continued. "I think it’s clear that his favourite position is the left but it’s important to note that he does a lot for the team, defensively as well, on the right hand side.”

Both Vinicius Jr and Kylian Mbappé prefer to play from the left, while Bellingham too often appears most comfortable when drifting out to that side. That leaves Rodrygo alone on the right, where he is often outnumbered with opposition players.

Amid the galaxy of attacking stars, Rodrygo can be overlooked for Real Madrid. But the Brazilian is a relentless presence in big games for Madrid, often as important to the set-up as the likes of Bellingham, Mbappé or Vinicius. Still only 24 years old, Rodrygo has already claimed three LaLiga titles and two Champions Leagues. He looks set to add many more during his time in the Spanish capital.

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