Forget Kylian Mbappe, Jude Bellingham will be the next name to join the pantheon of Real Madrid greats… just ask the legends themselves

The headline plastered across the front of the Madrid daily, As, proclaimed ‘Campeon Virtual’ – ‘Virtually champions’ – but the accompanying image spoke far louder.

It captured Jude Bellingham in what has become his trademark stance, arms outstretched on the Bernabeu turf, wearing a look which screamed ‘imperious after the goal which takes Real Madrid within touching distance of the title.

‘Hey Jude’, part of the soundtrack of this city now, was being hollered out of the Madrileno squares and the bars deep into Sunday night and broadcast far beyond. ‘Madrid has crossed borders,’ As columnist Tomas Roncero wrote, when the dust had settled on the 3-2 win. ‘My phone is full of videos of Madrid fans across the planet, singing that song.’

Bellingham has adopted that stance in Spanish cities coast-to-coat this season, though his Clasicos have been an emblem of an introduction for the ages and the fact that he is a threat to the very last

On Catalonian soil at Montjuic in October it was a 92nd minute winner, taking Madrid to the top of the table and inflicting a first defeat of the season on Barcelona. His intervention came fractionally earlier on Sunday. A mere 91 minutes had elapsed before he accelerated into the back of the box and struck the ball into the roof of the net with his left boot.

Bellingham scored an injury-time winner against Barcelona to all but hand Real the LaLiga title

Bellingham has been a talisman for Los Blancos since joining last summer, scoring 21 goals

Kylian Mbappe flashed his eyelashes at Real but did not materialise, yet the boy from Birmingham has delivered as much, if not more than, the French star might ever have done

This city can hardly believe its good fortune. Kylian Mbappe flashed his eyelashes at Real but did not materialise, yet the boy from Birmingham has delivered as much, if not more than, the French star might ever have done. Not least, those Clasicos denouements. ‘Bendito Bellingham,’ (‘Blessed Bellingham’) Rincero wrote. ‘Blessed was the hour in which this tall, educated and model Englishman decided to give up the Sheikh dollars of City, and Liverpool, to see his dream fulfilled here.’

While those of a Barcelona persuasion were left spitting blood over the ‘ghost goal’ denied them – ‘Era Gol’ (‘It was a goal,’) screamed Mundo Deportivo, the game’s thinkers were left reflecting on how and why Bellingham has flourished in this way, this season.

God-given talent, of course. But also the kind of self-belief and demeanour which that front cover image telegraphed. Raul, a legend of Real Madrid who has seen many English players come and go, was struck by this confidence from the moment he watched Bellingham’s introductory press conference last summer, from the back of the room.

‘I felt he spoke that day as a mature player already. As a veteran already,’ Raul said during a discussion of Europe’s talents and the forthcoming Euros before Monday night’s Laureus Awards. ‘It was as if he had been at Real Madrid for a long time. It’s really really hard to find a player like that. It’s the way that he is. He is a player who plays well and gives extra when things are tough. He connects with people and I think that’s why he is going to be a legend.’

Fabio Capello, who during the same discussion repeatedly returned to his view that England players have a tendency to ‘freeze’ on the biggest stages, interrupted Raul to declare that Bellingham was unusual in this respect. ‘It’s surprising to see an English player succeed so quickly in Real Madrid because they usually need a long time,’ Capello remarked, adding he already considers Bellingham, with Kylian Mbappe, to be one of the world’s two outstanding players.

‘Only the super players can play like him at this age – (Lionel) Messi and some others,’ Capello said. ‘It was an incredible performance that I saw yesterday in a really important game like El Clasico because he was very good on every part of the pitch. He ran back and covered the ball. The fans understand a lot of this. As supporters they know this player wants to win. He runs and fights.’

Madrid legend Raul knows what it takes to succeed at the Bernabeu, scoring 323 goals 

Raul now coaches Real Madrid Castilla, which is effectively the club’s reserve team

Ruud Gullit and Fabio Capello joined Raul in heaping praise on the 20-year-old Englishman

Rudd Gullit sees something of Steve McManaman and Chris Waddle in the unusual level of footballing self-confidence Bellingham is showing. ‘He understands the European game. That’s an advantage for you English,’ Gullit, an ambassador for Laureus told Mail Sport. ‘Those two both found it easy to go from the English game to the European game because they had a European kind of attitude. Some swagger. Bellingham also has swagger. That’s what you need in a place like this.

‘The way he has adapted already to Real Madrid is an achievement in itself – because there are players for Real Madrid who never become Real Madrid players. (Gareth) Bale never became (this kind of) Real Madrid player, even though he scored unbelievable goals.’

The situation is less complicated than it became for Bale, who found himself up against the unhealthy power base commanded within the club by Cristiano Ronaldo and fell out of love with the place. It feels like a clean, new beginning here, now: what Mail Sport’s Spanish football analyst Pete Jenson recently described as ‘the generation of Jude’ with a young cohort playing for each other, with Bellingham and Vinicius Jr at the apex.

Bellingham did not opt for the ‘Sheikh dollars’ because of a belief, shared with his father, Mark, who is a major influence, that it would be a better football and life environment here. The Bellingham family were impressed by the way that Real looked after their youngsters.

The player himself had enjoyed the foreign experience at Dortmund and was attracted to the idea of something similar. Liverpool indicated they could not afford the overall package to recruit him. Manchester United were not serious contenders, with the state of that club not helping, though Bryan Robson did watch Bellingham a lot at Birmingham City and was one of a number of individuals at Old Trafford who tried to persuade him to join, prior to his move to Dortmund in 2020.

Another legendary former player reflecting on Bellingham in Madrid on Monday was Marcel Desailly, the one-time France international and one of the greatest defensive midfielders of all time.

Desailly said he felt they Bellingham had not been at his best throughout Sunday’s match, yet Ancelotti, seeing that he might still have the potential to swing the game, had substituted Vinicius Jr instead, when other managers may have taken a different option.

The midfielder likely holds the key to England’s hopes of success at Euro 2024 this summer

Bellingham has also shown his leadership qualities for the Spanish giants so far this season

‘I think Bellingham is lucky with Ancelotti who has a tactical set up that helps him really well,’ Desailly said. ‘He brought off Vinicius but kept Bellingham on the field even though he had not been playing that well and got to show his intelligence. He finally got his opportunity because of that super, super intelligence.

‘Bellingham has the legs to defend and to position himself and identify the correct momentum to place the killer ball or through his cleverness to help the collective of the team. He is a good player for now, though. Some are trying to compare him to Zidane – it’s difficult for accept he could be at that level. It’s a whole career, and the usage of the ball is different between Zidane and Bellingham. Bellingham is more straightforward, more acceleration, Zidane was more of a “disruptor”as we say in France.’

Gullit was quick to shoot down any suggestion that the ultimate assessment of Bellingham can only be made when he has tested himself in the Premier League. ‘No! Don’t say this!’ he replied. ‘Real Madrid is the biggest club in the world! You can’t say that! You can’t! I know the Premier League is the most exciting league in the world. It is. But you can’t say that if you don’t make it in England you don’t make it anywhere. The way he has been adapted already by Real Madrid is an achievement in itself.’

Talk here is already turning to whether Bellingham is the ingredient which can see England to success in this summer’s European Championships. Capello thinks so. He identified England as his tournament favourites, despite some characteristically harsh remarks about their central defence being the weak links and Jordan Pickford’s kicking being ‘ a problem.’

On the Gran Via here on Monday lunchtime, talk was turning to how Bellingham’s debut season might be contextualised. No one remembers a better one. It’s no exaggeration to say that this is the most prodigious start since Alfredo di Stefano walked the turf.

Bellingham is a complete midfielder and is set to drive this next generation of Madrid stars

His debut year has been dubbed the best at the Bernabeu since the days of Alfredo Di Stefano

Raul, Gullit, Capello and Desailly were speaking before the 25th Laureus World Sports Awards

What struck you most about the image Bellingham posted of himself with teammates in the dressing room after Sunday’s victory was the obvious seniority in that place which he, a 20-year-old already commands. ‘Our House,’ he captioned it, someone finding the words to capture the bond which seems to have been formed. Whether or not Mbappe comes along is less significant now. Bellingham and Vinicius will still be the leaders.

‘To be honest, I was a little bit surprised – but wow, he’s a big personality in the dressing room already and that is massive, reflected Antonio Rudiger. ‘And that is massive. The way he has handled himself is very good. He is very old for his age. He is professional in everything he does. He is a good lad. He has great parents, doing a great job. And as for his talent, there’s nothing I need say. Just hope he stays healthy.’

Raul, Gullit, Capello and Desailly were speaking before the 25th Laureus World Sports Awards took place on Monday in Madrid, celebrating the leading names in sport from across the globe. To find out more, visit www.laureus.com