"He performs wherever he is put" - Ruud van Nistelrooy believes 'exceptional' Real Madrid superstar is dealing with unfair demands
Former Real Madrid attacker Ruud van Nistelrooy believes that star midfielder Jude Bellingham is dealing with unjust demands in Carlo Ancelotti's system. However, he praised the midfielder, saying that he has performed admirably to go above and beyond the mountain of expectations from fans and the club.
Nistelrooy arrived at Real Madrid from Manchester United reportedly for €15 million in July 2006. He spent four seasons at the club, bagging 64 goals and 16 assists in 96 appearances across all competitions.
He won the La Liga Golden Boot in his first season at Real after netting 25 times in 37 appearances, beating out legendary forwards Ronaldinho and David Villa. Having been a prolific marksman himself, he praised Bellingham's unexpected goalscoring form and his all-around impressive first season at the club.
The Englishman made the move from Borussia Dortmund to Real Madrid for €103 million at the start of the season and has made his presence felt at the club. Adding a goalscoring facet to his already well-rounded game, he has been one of the best players in Los Blancos' squad.
Jude Bellingham has found the back of the net on 22 occasions and set up his teammates 10 times in 38 appearances across all competitions. Talking about the lofty standards that he has set for himself, which has led to unrealistic expectations, van Nistelrooy said (via AS):
"That Jude has so many goals is an extra, a bonus. He is a splendid all-rounder, who arrives phenomenally on the second line, he runs, he defends, he has a vision of the game, he makes quick transitions... We cannot demand that he be a scorer and, nevertheless, he is one."
He went on to call Bellingham an 'exceptional' player, who has delivered in any role that manager Carlo Ancelotti has demanded from him.
"His season is spectacular and must be valued in the right way for him. It doesn't matter that (Carlo) Ancelotti has changed his role, he performs wherever he is put, because he is an exceptional player," van Nistelrooy added.
"Madrid is going to behave differently" - Former Real Madrid marksman Ruud van Nistelrooy comments on the second leg of UCL semifinal vs Bayern Munich
Former Dutch attacker Ruud van Nistelrooy said that Real Madrid will definitely implement a different approach at home in the second leg of their Champions League semifinal against Bayern Munich.
The first leg at the Allianz Arena yielded a 2-2 draw, with Vinicius Jr's brace (24', 83' penalty) canceling out goals from Leroy Sane (53') and Harry Kane (57' penalty). The tie hangs precariously in the balance, and either side could seal their place in the final with one brilliant performance.
In the same interview with AS as mentioned before, van Nistelrooy commented on Real's ability to take advantage of their home turf in the second leg. He said:
"The thing is that the game at the Bernabeu is going to be a completely different story. Madrid is going to behave differently, as always when it plays in its stadium, it is going to be the one that dominates the most, like Bayern did in the first leg."
Real Madrid will host Bayern Munich in the second leg of their Champions League semi-final at the Santiago Bernabeu on May 8. The winner is set to take on Borussia Dortmund, who sealed their progress into the final with a 2-0 aggregate win over Paris Saint-Germain.