Roy Keane: Jude Bellingham Can Be 'One of the Greatest Players of All Time'

Jude Bellingham delivered a sensational performance for England, scoring one goal and assisting three others in their dominant 7-0 victory over Croatia, prompting football pundit Roy Keane to declare he could become 'one of the greatest players of all time' [1, 2, 3]. England inflicted Croatia's heaviest-ever defeat in Rijeka, with Bellingham playing a pivotal role in the rout [1, 3].

The 23-year-old Real Madrid star set up Harry Kane for the opening goal before netting one himself from Anthony Gordon's cross ^[1]. He then provided assists for Bukayo Saka's first goal and later for Morgan Rogers to round off the emphatic win [1, 2]. This remarkable display makes him the first midfielder since David Platt in 1993 to be involved in four goals for England in a single match ^[3].

Keane praised Bellingham's all-round game, highlighting his 'running power, his delivery, his goal threat' ^[1]. He also noted the midfielder's impressive work rate off the ball, suggesting it inspires his teammates [1, 3]. Keane believes that as long as Bellingham avoids injuries and maintains his attitude, the sky is the limit for his career [1, 3].

England manager Thomas Tuchel lauded the team's performance as a '90-minute performance at the highest level from everyone', particularly impressed by their clinical finishing and sustained hunger ^[1]. He noted how fluid England were from the start, creating numerous chances and maintaining their pace throughout the match.

Bellingham's Real Madrid teammate Bukayo Saka, who scored twice in the match, also heaped praise on the midfielder. Saka called Bellingham 'amazing' and suggested he deserved both England's player of the year award and the man of the match accolade for his performance against Croatia [2, 3].

Bellingham has had an equally strong start to his club season, contributing to five goals in seven league games for Real Madrid ^[1]. England's next match will be at home against the Czech Republic on 6 October, where they will look to continue their strong run in the Nations League group ^[3]. The story was first reported by Metro and Mirror.