Gary Neville has paid a huge compliment to England star Jude Bellingham by comparing him to Roy Keane and Steven Gerrard after his scintillating performances in the World Cup.
The 19-year-old is appearing at the tournament for the first time but has been an utter revelation, churning in all-action displays in midfield for Gareth Southgate's side.
The latest, and perhaps the most impressive, came in the 3-0 win over Senegal on Sunday night at the Al Bayt Stadium.
Bellingham created the first goal for Jordan Henderson when he found the Liverpool skipper with a perfect cut-back.
Advert
He then had a huge hand in the second as Harry Kane got his first goal of the tournament. Phil Foden got the first of two assists but it was all about the driving run through midfield from Bellingham, who then picked out the Manchester City star a wonderful pass.
The Borussia Dortmund star has arguably been England's stand-out performer at the Qatar showpiece and looks to be the complete midfielder.
And Neville, capped 85 times by England, has been blown away by what he's seen from the Birmingham City academy product.
He's had the Gerrard comparison before but with that aggressive side to his game, Neville also feels he's got a bit Keane in him.
"We've become obsessed over the last ten or fifteen years with trying to describe what type of midfielder every midfield player is," Neville said on Sky Sports News.
"You get put into boxes. You're compartmentalised, you're either a holding player, a box-to-box player or a goalscoring midfield player or number ten.
"This lad can do everything, absolutely everything. They've very unique players. I was in the studio with one Roy Keane that could do everything.
"I think Steven Gerrard could do everything. He could defend, he could pass, he could attack. These are very unique talents in world football and ones that I played with.
"That's what he reminds me of. For me to put him in that category, that is really high praise because you couldn't make me talk any higher about those types of players and their ability to contribute in different areas of the pitch.
"How, at 19, he's delivering it, is the unique part. Roy Keane wasn't delivering it at 19 and neither was Steven Gerrard, it was a little bit later.
"What he's doing now in a World Cup, I've not seen before. It's breathtaking."
Speaking on ITV, Keane hailed Bellingham's maturity, saying, “I’ve not seen a young midfielder play like that for years, normally you see one at 26 or 27" and that he has "everything".
Meanwhile teammate Foden paid Bellingham the highest possible compliment when he said," I think he will be the best midfielder in the world."
England will need Bellingham on top form against holders and quarter-final opponents France on Saturday if they are to advance to the semi-finals for a second World Cup in a row.
Topics: England, Jude Bellingham, Roy Keane, Steven Gerrard, Gary Neville
Josh Lawless