‘Jude Bellingham walks into Real Madrid, Barcelona, anywhere’ – Owen Hargreaves and Rio Ferdinand

Owen Hargreaves and Rio Ferdinand feel Jude Bellingham will “improve any team in the world”, including the likes of Real Madrid and Barcelona.

He has played every minute of Dortmund’s Bundesliga and Champions League campaigns this season, scoring two goals in their 5-0 victory over Stuttgart on Saturday.

“To be that mature for that age is frightening. What he’s been able to achieve is out of this world.

“He’s going to get too big for Dortmund, with all due respect to them. Any team would want him. The kid walks into Real Madrid, Barcelona, anywhere.”

Bellingham quickly became a Dortmund first-team regular when he joined from Birmingham City in 2020.

Ferdinand agreed with Hargreaves’ comments, praising his mentality.

“He would improve any team in the world,” said Ferdinand. “I think he’s that good.

“For young players that are aspiring to become footballers I think you’ve got to understand your attitude and maturity plays such a big part.

“At 19 years old, in Champions League football, how many people would go ‘Oh we’ll give him the armband’.

“There was a queue that would go out of the dressing room door before we would get it and you are talking about even the best of our generation – the Steven Gerrards, Frank Lampards, the Wayne Rooneys. They weren’t going to be captains in the Champions League at 19 years old.

“This kid, it’s like ‘We’ll give it to him’ and there’s no qualms about it, no questions, because mentally he is ready.”