Jude Bellingham tipped to become finest midfielder England has ever produced

Former Blues and Three Lions star Joe Cole reckons Borussia Dortmund’s wonderkid Jude Bellingham can become the greatest midfielder England has ever produced

ude Bellingham has all the attributes to become the finest midfielder England has ever produced.

Better than Paul Gascoigne, Frank Lampard, David Beckham and every other great before them who pulled on a Three Lions jersey. That’s the verdict of former Chelsea star Joe Cole, whose old club are pitted against Bellingham and his Borussia Dortmund side in the Champions League this week.

The two teams meet for the first leg of their last-16 tie in Germany on Wednesday, when the Blues will get an up-close look at the £150million-rated star they are keen to sign. Cole, who knows from experience how difficult it can be for a prodigious young talent to cope with the expectations placed upon him, said: “Jude has definitely got the ability to be right up there.

“He was brilliant at the World Cup. He was so mature, he can do everything. He could end up standing on the shoulders of all those great players, he could surpass them. We’re certainly very blessed to have him in an England shirt.

“I was lucky enough to have a fantastic, long career. There are many, many players who have that burden and don’t make it, they can’t handle the pressure. You have to handle the expectation. You get to a level where the expectation is like a pressure cooker. Jude has already answered all of those questions because he has performed at the very highest level for Dortmund and England. He has come through that.