Roy Keane talks up Jude Bellingham characteristics Man Utd, Liverpool crave as star rejects Jordan Henderson ‘rubbish’

Roy Keane has left staggered by the maturity and midfield influence of Jude Bellingham as England strolled into the World Cup quarter-finals with a 3-0 victory over Senegal.

The last-16 contest game was evenly matched at the Al Bayt Stadium, with Jordan Pickford having to produce a good save to keep the champions of Africa at bay. However, Bellingham decided to take the game by the scruff of the neck, helping England race into a 2-0 lead before half-time.

He played significantly roles in both goals, setting up Jordan Henderson for the opener and then slicing through their defence to play a leading role in Harry Kane’s  goal.

After the break, he helped England maintain a strangehold on proceedings and book a last-eight date with France.

England coach Gareth Southgate labelled Bellingham as “outstanding” after the game, with another Three Lions star also earning praise.

It was a similar viewpoint from ITV pundit Roy Keane, too. The former Manchester United is notoriously hard to please and is a strong critic of most. But in Bellingham he sees a staggering maturity in the teenager.

Where he will end up next is a topic of hot debate, with this article examining the pros and cons of every move.

And with United and Liverpool both desperate to sign him from Borussia Dortmund, Keane can easily see why.

“I’ve not seen a young midfielder play like that for years, normally you see one 26, 27,” Keane said on ITV. “Everything in the game, we talk about what goes on in his brain, he’s like a man, that maturity, what’s going on upstairs is huge for a midfielder, decision-making, final pass. The kid has everything.”

Jordan Henderson earns Roy Keane, Bellingham praise

Keane is also a fan of Henderson and believes he brings a certain know-how to the side.

“The midfield, you know, is a solid three and that’s what you need,” the Irishman said earlier. “The attacking players are there to win football matches and I’ve never had any doubt with Jordan [Henderson].

“He can produce, he’s been a rock solid player and running onto it here, it’s not an easy finish, weaker foot, Jordan’s an excellent player, just as important and a character – which is obviously what Gareth likes.

“Put it this way, [Jurgen] Klopp’s played him for a long time and if he wasn’t sure of him, he wouldn’t be playing him.”

Henderson’s selection also earned criticism in some quarters before the game, though his goal and all-round performance fully justified his place.

And another who was keen to defend the Reds skipper was Bellingham. Hitting out at the “rubbish” he sees about Henderson, he was full of praise for his teammate.

“I’ve seen some of the rubbish said about him, it’s ridiculous – he’s so underrated technically,” Bellingham said of his fellow midfielder after the game. “It’s about time he gets a bit of praise.”

Liverpool fans will certainly hope the Henderson x Bellingham axis is a sign of things to come. The Reds are desperate to sign the midfielder, who will likely come with a £130m price tag.

Given his performances for England at the World Cup so far, it’s very easy to see why he’s in such high demand.

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