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England boss Gareth Southgate says it is \u201cnot a stupid question\u201d to ask whether Real Madrid star Jude Bellingham is the best player in the world right now.<\/p>\n
Having impressed at Birmingham and flourished at Borussia Dortmund, the 20-year-old midfielder has gone up another level since his big-money switch to Spain.<\/p>\n
Bellingham has immediately established himself as one of Madrid\u2019s main men and has scored 10 goals in 10 matches since moving to the Bernabeu for an initial \u00a388.5million fee.<\/p>\n
The midfielder scored a brace in Saturday\u2019s 4-0 win against Osasuna, which will only increase talk of the midfielder being the world\u2019s top player at the moment.<\/p>\n
Asked if Bellingham was the best in the world right now, Southgate \u2013 speaking before the Real star\u2019s two-goal showing on Saturday \u2013 said: \u201cI wondered if you might say that!<\/p>\n
\u201cNo, it\u2019s not a stupid question. I haven\u2019t seen everybody and studied everybody playing.<\/p>\n
\u201cAll I can say is he\u2019s at one of the biggest clubs in the world, arguably the biggest, and he\u2019s playing exceptionally well and he\u2019s currently the match-winner for them so he\u2019s in a brilliant place.\u201d<\/p>\n
He\u2019s been the match-winner for Real Madrid and the start for him has been absolutely phenomenal. I\u2019m chuffed to bits for him.<\/p>\n
Bellingham has quickly established himself as a fan favourite at the Bernabeu, where he has added more goals to his game playing in a more advanced position.<\/p>\n
The 20-year-old scored a solo stunner in Tuesday\u2019s 3-2 Champions League win at Napoli, with Spanish media comparing him to Diego Maradona and Alfredo Di Stefano.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe\u2019s playing higher,\u201d Southgate said. \u201cWe played him higher against Scotland, he had that freedom in the Ukraine game as well, we didn\u2019t use the game well enough in the final third.<\/p>\n
\u201cBut he\u2019s always looked dangerous and had an impact around the opposing box with Dortmund and with us, without looking quite as calm as he has this season in front of goal.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s brilliant to have people who can win games.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe\u2019s been the match-winner for Real Madrid and the start for him has been absolutely phenomenal. I\u2019m chuffed to bits for him.\u201d<\/p>\n
Asked if Bellingham is a number 10 who could play up top on his own without a number nine, the England boss said: \u201cWell, there are lots of different number 10s, aren\u2019t there?<\/p>\n
\u201cThe 10s I played against, (Dennis) Bergkamp, (Gianfranco) Zola probably were forwards that dropped deeper rather than the other way round.<\/p>\n
\u201cJude is a more powerful player than those, slightly different. More of a midfield player, who\u2019s going to make midfield runs. That doesn\u2019t mean he\u2019s any less effective, as we\u2019ve seen.<\/p>\n
\u201cTheir team have found a nice balance with the athletic midfield they have behind and, having lost (Karim) Benzema as they did and lost Vinicius (to injury) as they did, they have been adapting.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe\u2019s been defending on the left wing in a couple of games and I can just imagine the reaction from all and sundry if I asked him to do that!<\/p>\n
\u201cSo, look, he\u2019s doing brilliantly well and that\u2019s the beauty of some of the options we\u2019ve got. We can play players in different positions. They\u2019re good players so they can adapt.\u201d<\/p>\n
Bellingham will now join up with England for a Wembley double-header, with Friday\u2019s friendly against Australia followed by a Euro 2024 qualifier against Italy.<\/p>\n
Southgate largely stuck with the tried and tested with his selection for October\u2019s fixtures, meaning vice-captain Jordan Henderson kept his place after his controversial move to Al-Ettifaq in Saudi Arabia.<\/p>\n
\u201cHis physical data is fine,\u201d Southgate said of the former Liverpool skipper. \u201cThe games are not at the same intensity as the games here. The heat is part of that.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere are two or three drinks breaks per game, which is an indication of the climate, and that his having an impact on how teams play.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt is a situation that we are tracking closely. I will go out and watch games. But we get all his games the same way we get everybody else\u2019s.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s a longer trip and in these first couple of months we\u2019ve felt it more important to see as many games live as we can, as quickly as possible, by getting around our country more.<\/p>\n
\u201cBut as time moves on, we\u2019ll get to more of the Milans, the Madrids and the Bayern Munichs, as well as out to see Hendo.\u201d<\/p>\n
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