“I think he surprised everyone last season” - Carlo Ancelotti speaks up on Jude Bellingham’s potential for second season impact at Real Madrid
Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti believes that everyone was surprised by Jude Bellingham's blistering start to life at the Santiago Bernabeu last season. Los Blancos paid Borussia Dortmund a reported €103m in transfer fees for the Englishman last summer.
Bellingham was handed the coveted No. 5 shirt at the club and proceeded to blow everyone away with his performances. The Englishman from Stourbridge, West Midlands, soon became the La Liga giants' savior, churning up impactful performances game after game.
The 21-year-old finished the campaign with 23 goals and 13 assists from 42 games. His efforts helped Real Madrid win the La Liga title, the Champions League and the Supercopa de Espana.
Ancelotti recently backed Jude Bellingham to be influential for Los Blancos this season as well.
“Jude Bellingham's growth since he joined? I think Jude surprised everyone last season in the beginning and now he's doing really well, he's really mature, he takes more responsibility in the squad, he's a really important player for us. I think he'll do the same for us this season like last season,” said Ancelotti (via Madrid Xtra).
He continued:
“Expecting Jude to achieve more in his 2nd season? I think so, he has a lot of quality in every sense, he has a really strong character, he's a really important player in the squad not only for what he does on the pitch but also in the environment, it's really important for his personality.”
Bellingham has appeared three times for Real Madrid this season, registering one assist.
A look at Jude Bellingham's start to the season for Real Madrid
Jude Bellingham has experienced a slow start to his second season with Real Madrid. The Englishman was in the starting XI for the UEFA Super Cup against Atalanta and helped Los Blancos pick up their first trophy of the season. He retained his place under Carlo Ancelotti for the first game of the new league campaign against Mallorca, which ended in a 1-1 draw.
However, Bellingham picked up a muscle injury next and was subsequently sidelined for the next four games. The Englishman returned to action on Tuesday against VfB Stuttgart, playing for 80 minutes before being replaced by Endrick.
Interestingly, his role at Real Madrid has changed since the arrival of Kylian Mbappe this summer. With the Frenchman now operating as the focal point of attack, Bellingham may have to rediscover himself this season.