"Second to none" - Luka Modric reveals what surprised him most about Real Madrid midfielder Jude Bellingham
Real Madrid star Luka Modric recently said that Jude Bellingham's mentality surprised him the most when he made the move to Santiago Bernabeu from Borussia Dortmund. The Englishman joined Los Blancos on a reported base transfer fee of €103 million.
Following his move to Spain, the 20-year-old became only the sixth Englishman to play for Real Madrid. In his debut season, Bellingham scored 23 goals and managed 13 assists in 42 games across all competitions.
As a result, he was awarded the Golden Boy award for 2023, an accolade given to the best male under-21 footballer playing in the European top divisions over a calendar year.
Bellingham has really impressed the Croatian in his first season in Spain. While speaking about his qualities, here's what the 38-year-old said (via Madrid Xtra):
"Jude has shown to everyone what kind of player & talent he is. But what surprised me most about him was his mentality. Work ethic. This is second to none. It’s amazing.
"Every training session. Every game. Full. How he competes, his winning mentality. This is what impressed me most about him apart from his footballing quality. His football IQ is amazing."
In his first season at Real Madrid, the Englishman won La Liga, the UEFA Champions League and the Spanish Super Cup. He was also named the Champions League's 'Young Player of the Season'.
What were Bellingham's stats in his first season at Real Madrid?
The 20-year-old scored 10 goals in his first 0 appearances for the club, equalling a record set by former talisman Cristiano Ronaldo. He also became the first player ever to score in La Liga, Champions League and El Classico for Los Blancos in his debut season.
In their 4–2 victory against Napoli on November 29 last year, Bellingham became the first player to score in each of his first four Champions League appearances for Los Merengues.
Furthermore, with 19 goals and six assists in the league, the Englishman ended his debut season as Real Madrid's top scorer and was thus named the La Liga Player of the Season.
Bellingham defeated his former club Borussia Dortmund to help Los Blancos win their 15th Champions League title.