Jude Bellingham, the midfielder for Real Madrid and England, has identified a teammate who he believes will surpass his own abilities, as he continues to impress at Euro 2024.
In his inaugural season at Real Madrid during 2023/24, the 20-year-old midfielder will look back on it as truly remarkable. He scored 19 goals and provided six assists for Los Blancos, contributing significantly to their La Liga and Champions League triumphs.
Bellingham’s outstanding performances earned him the 2023 Golden Boy Award, with a record-breaking 485 points out of a possible 500 from the jury, recognizing him as Europe’s top under-21 player.
Having established himself as one of the brightest young talents in global football, Bellingham has identified a Real Madrid teammate whom he believes will surpass his own achievements. He has singled out Arda Guler for potentially leaving a lasting legacy in the sport.
Massimo Franchi, the founder of the Golden Boy award, shared insights from his conversation with Bellingham at last year’s ceremony.
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Franchi mentioned Bellingham discussing his younger brother Jude and Turkey’s emerging star. “At the time, he mentioned that his brother Jobe, playing for Sunderland, could be a favorite for the 2024 award,” Franchi told German outlet Frankfurter Rundschau. “It was said in jest, as Jobe doesn’t yet play for a Premier League club and is ineligible under Golden Boy rules.”
“In December last year, Jude also mentioned to me that Real Madrid has an exceptional young player who might even be a bit better than him: Turkey’s Arda Güler, who scored a remarkable goal against Albania and has shown incredible skills in training. Güler is just 19 years old.”
Luka Modric recently praised Arda Güler, who scored in Turkey’s Euro 2024 match against Georgia, highlighting his positive reception in recent months. Modric expressed admiration for the teenager shortly after his arrival at Real Madrid, saying, “I love him, he’s a great kid. He’s eager to learn, improve, and listen. He’s a tremendous talent.”
Modric noted Güler’s challenges with injuries upon joining Madrid, mentioning, “Unfortunately, he got injured when he arrived in Madrid, then recovered but perhaps rushed his return to impress Madrid and got injured again.” Modric advised Güler to take things slowly and emphasized his youth, saying, “I told him he needs to take it easy, step by step. He’s young, so he has time to showcase his quality and talent to the Madrid fans.”
Modric concluded with warm wishes for Güler’s future, stating, “I wish him all the best. Hopefully, he will now start to demonstrate his quality when he returns. Above all, he’s a great, great kid.”