"Born to play in Real Madrid" - Raul makes bold claims about Los Blancos star after impressing this season
Real Madrid legend Raul has heaped praise on summer signing Jude Bellingham, hailing his ability and mentality this season.
Los Blancos signed Bellingham from Borussia Dortmund for a reported fee of €103 million last summer. He has been brilliant during his time at the club so far, scoring 20 goals and providing eight assists in 29 games across competitions.
Club legend Raul recently hailed Bellingham, saying (via The Sun):
“Jude Bellingham is one of the players who has impressed me the most in the past few years.
I had the opportunity to see him training and playing in a few games, of course. I think as the president of Real Madrid Florentino Perez would say, he was born to play in Real Madrid."
“In such a short time, he’s known how to connect with people, with the values that Real Madrid and sports in general transmit.
“And then, despite his young age, he’s very mature in his way of expressing himself, connecting with people. It’s been a long time since I’ve seen a player with those qualities."
Raul wished Bellingham his best and also said that he expects the 20-year-old to achieve plenty with Los Blancos and England. The Spaniard said:
“I wish him all the best because he’s just starting out. He hasn’t even been here in Madrid for six or seven months yet.
“But I think Real Madrid fans are enjoying him a lot. Rivals fear him, which is a really good sign. And I think he’s a guy with a very clear mind. He knows what he wants and I think he’s going to give a lot to Real Madrid."
He added:
“He’s also going to give a lot to his national team, too. Because he’s going to be a role model to all those girls and boys, who want to be a footballer or be involved in sports. Mainly through hard work, he’s achieving his dreams.”
Due to impressive performances, Bellingham has been nominated for the 2024 Laureus Breakthrough of the Year award.
Carlo Ancelotti on Luka Modric after Real Madrid's win over Sevilla
Los Blancos beat Sevilla 1-0 at the Santiago Bernabeu in La Liga on Sunday, February 25. Luka Modric was the star of the show as the came on as a substitute in the 75th minute and scored a sensational goal in the 82nd minute.
After the game, manager Carlo Ancelotti spoke about the Croatian midfielder and said (via Managing Madrid):
"We celebrate for Luka today for a great goal, because it gives us three points. He’s fresh and brought that, and he showed how complicated it is to leave him on the bench, with how he scored and how he sets an example for all of the squad in every session. It’s difficult to leave a player like him on the bench.”
There has been plenty of speculation about the veteran midfielder's future at Real Madrid, with his contract expiring in the summer. The 38-year-old has started just 16 games across competitions this season. He has registered two goals and six assists in 29 games across competitions.