JUDE BELLINGHAM has been compared to Zinedine Zidane and told he could end his career as a Real Madrid great.
The England superstar will try to guide Madrid to Copa del Rey glory today when they face Barcelona in the final in Seville.
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Bellingham, 21, did the LaLiga and Champions League double in his first season at the Bernabeu.
And Frederic Kanoute – who spent seven seasons in LaLiga with Sevilla – reckons there are similarities with the West Midlander and France’s World Cup winner.
Not just in terms of their incredible talents but the fact Bellingham also plays on the edge and seems to be one second away from a rough tackle or moment of dissent.
Kanoute, a former striker for West Ham and Tottenham, told SunSport: “It would be very easy for me to compare him to Zinedine Zidane.
“He’s a fan himself. He took his number five and plays for the same club. And he has a little bit of an edge as well.
“Right now, it’s not a full comparison. Zidane has proven everything in football and is one of the greatest in history. But I think it’s a good benchmark for him to have.
“I played against Zidane. The ease that he had to go past his opponents effortlessly, and with class and elegance.
“At the same time, this strength of character that he had, and a winning mentality, it was the full package.”
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Bellingham, who moved to Spain from Borussia Dortmund for £88.5million in the summer of 2023, has scored three goals in five El Clasicos.
Yet he does have to curb his temperament and was sent off in a 1-1 draw at Osasuna in February – and then served a two-game ban for swearing at the referee.
Kanoute has no issues with that, however, and he said: “In any sport, you need to have a little bit of that edge.
“Obviously you need to channel it and he’s still very young. I think he’ll learn how to channel it, not to cross that line.
“But I think you can see all the top players, they have something as they are always competitive.
“It’s definitely something that can be turned into a positive.
“Jude has raised the standard in LaLiga. It only happens a few times that English players go and play in LaLiga.
“His adaptation is quite impressive, especially in Real Madrid, where the pressure is huge.
“What strikes me with him is the extreme level of confidence he has, and he has had a very positive impact on the team.
“One of his most positive assets of his game is his mental strength. He’s a leader. A natural leader.
“He has all the ingredients to become one of the greats in England and at international level.”
++ Kanoute was speaking as La Liga and Bloomsbury Football opened the Harris Academy in St John’s Wood, London. This partnership supports youth football in the UK and ensures players from all backgrounds in London have access to the game.