Wayne Rooney has praised Jude Bellingham for his performance against Mexico, comparing it to the legendary performances of Gerrard and Keane, as England advance to the World Cup.
This triumph propelled England towards the quarter-finals, where they will face Norway, with the aim of winning their first major trophy since victory in 1966. Rooney, a former Three Lions striker, compared Bellingham's excellent performance to that of Gerrard in the 2005 Champions League final, when Liverpool managed to come back from a 3-0 deficit against Milan, and to Keane's against Juventus in 1999, which led to Manchester United to win the European trophy.
"I said Jude Bellingham would make a big impact when we needed him to drag us to victory," Rooney said on his BBC podcast. "When you look at Gerrard's performance against Milan and Keane's performance against Juventus, both were able to drag their teams along in crucial moments. I feel that Bellingham also did the same with his two goals, because of the timing, his determination, his commitment and his desire to win."
Bellingham scored the first goal in a moment of great intensity as Mexico tried to find an equaliser. He also managed to make a crucial defensive save on Cesar Montes, denying a goal that would have been fatal for England.
"Sometimes he's not always in the right place defensively, but his desire to recover and help his teammates when they're not performing at their best has been commendable," Rooney added. Rooney's final comment on Bellingham's performance was a 10 out of 10, considering the difficulties he faced during the match. "When it comes to giving a rating, you think if he could have done a little more, but I felt it was the right match to give him the maximum rating," he concluded.
With this success, England are set to face a crucial challenge in their quest for World Cup glory, with Bellingham continuing to prove a crucial part of the team.
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