Gary Neville and Jamie Carragher have hailed Jude Bellingham after his heroics helped England reach the quarter-finals of the World Cup.
Bellingham set up Jordan Henderson to open the scoring in the last-16 win over Senegal before playing a crucial role as Harry Kane scored the Three Lions' second. The midfielder has impressed hugely since breaking through at Birmingham City and is now a key man for Gareth Southgate 's team.
His rise has been phenomenal, with the Borussia Dortmund star still only 19-years-old. That has led to Neville being left over-awed by his talent, comparing him to Steven Gerrard and Roy Keane.
"We've become obsessed over the last 10 or 15 years trying to describe what type of midfield player every midfielder player is," Neville told Sky Sports.
"You get put into boxes, you're compartmentalised into a holding player or a box-to-box player or a goalscoring midfield player or a number 10. This lad can do everything, absolutely everything. They're very unique players.
"I was in the studio last night with one, Roy Keane, that could do everything. Steven Gerrard could do everything, he could defend, he could pass, he could attack. These are very unique talents in world football and ones that I played with.
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"That's what he reminded me of. To put him in that category, that is really high praise because you couldn't maybe talk higher than about those types of players. Their ability to basically contribute in different areas of the pitch.
"So, how at 19 he's delivering it though is the unique part. What he's doing now at 19 at a World Cup I've not seen before, it's breathtaking and something that will attract a lot of interest from Premier League clubs."
Carragher has also been left stunned by Bellingham's progress and crowned him as English football's next superstar. The former Liverpool legend compared him to the likes of Paul Gascoigne, Michael Owen and Wayne Rooney has he hailed the midfielder.
"England’s midfield prodigy has joined the list of players who have elevated their status to that of a national hero with mastery on the biggest stage. Another stellar display against Senegal confirmed why Bellingham will be the most wanted signature of every top coach before next season," he wrote in a column for the Daily Telegraph.
"Like Owen and Rooney, Bellingham has established himself in the England team as a fearless teenager. The echoes of Gazza 32 years ago are unavoidable. With every performance in this tournament, Bellingham has oozed the same confidence, transforming the team and catching the public imagination.
"But with all due respect to Gazza, what is exciting is Bellingham has the potential to go way beyond him and achieve what no England midfielder has done since 1966 – to become a world superstar on the basis of his achievements for both club and country.
"We are watching the career of a freakishly good talent unfolding. It is frightening how good Bellingham is. If you were to build the prototype modern midfielder, he would be it. Bellingham is not only an England superstar now. He is three more wins from becoming a World Cup legend."
