- Bellingham won the Champions League in his first season after joining Madrid
- He is also key to England’s Euro 2024 hopes and stars in the first match against Serbia
- Listen to It all starts! Chris Sutton reveals all about why he punched David Beckham
Jude Bellingham has all the qualities to become Real Madrid captain and he can further underline his case at the 2024 European Championship, believes World Cup and European Championship-winning goalkeeper Iker Casillas.
Casillas, who spent 25 years at Real Madrid playing from youth academy to the first team, knows exactly what it takes for a player to lead this season’s Champions League winners.
And despite the England midfielder being only 20 years old, Casillas has seen enough in Bellingham, who scored the Three Lions’ only goal in the opening match of the European Championship against Serbia, to know that he will be the leader of his team for many years to come. club will be.
“He made it to the most important club in the world and showed that he is a great player and that he can be there,” Casillas said.
“More may be asked of him now and next year, but that makes him a star.”
Iker Casillas has issued a warning to Jude Bellingham (pictured) after a stellar debut season at Real Madrid
The midfielder won LaLiga and the Champions League in his first year after joining from Borussia Dortmund
Casillas (pictured) has warned Bellingham to “continue to learn from the veterans next school year.”
He added: ‘Of course he could definitely be the captain of Real Madrid. He has everything to shape the role.
‘There are more experienced people at the top, but I would advise him to continue to learn from the other veterans there, continue to delve into the history of the club and do everything he can to be a great player and captain become.’
Bellingham’s trajectory has been on a steep upward curve since he left Birmingham City four years ago.
He flourished at Borussia Dortmund before being poached by Real Madrid, where he has established himself as one of the best players in the world.
For Casillas, the challenge now for the young Englishman is to prove he can maintain his greatness in the biggest tournaments.
“Let’s see if he can consolidate this way of playing,” the iconic goalkeeper continued.
‘He is one of the great players in the world. He plays for England, who are very strong and already have a tough championship [defeat] three years ago… but he has what it takes to adapt to the euro.’
Among the other rising stars in Spain who are looking to challenge Bellingham on both a domestic and international level are Barcelona and Spanish side Lamine Yamal.
Starting against Croatia, Yamal broke the record of being the youngest ever player at a European Championship, aged just 16 years and 338 days.
Yamal is expected to be a future Ballon d’Or candidate and so much is expected of him, but for Casillas, patience is needed for the teenager to find his feet, especially with the national team.
Casillas has also backed the England star to continue showing his class at the 2024 European Championship
The former Real Madrid captain has backed Bellingham to one day take over the armband
He also praised the emergence of Lamine Yamal, who wants to help Spain succeed in Germany
“Only he can prove that he will be a great player, only and exclusively him, and of course the confidence and effort that goes into that,” Casillas said.
‘It’s good to see young players continuing to develop in football in Spain and being regarded as stars of the future. It’s good for the whole team.
“Let’s see if with the confidence and maturity he has, plus the other teammates who will support him, he can become a very good player for Spain.”
Spain and England play their second matches of Euro 2024 on Thursday, with Spain taking on defending champions Italy, while the Three Lions take on Denmark.
Iker Casillas is a brand ambassador for Hisense’s UEFA EURO 2024 campaign BEYOND GLORY, which celebrates the relentless pursuit of excellence shared by professional footballers striving for EURO honors and Hisense’s commitment to pushing boundaries in the home appliances sector.