Former Liverpool midfielder Paul Ince believes there is no limit to what Jude Bellingham can achieve in football and is calling on the 19-year-old to produce another level of performance in the World Cup knockout stages.
Borussia Dortmund talisman Bellingham is considered to be Liverpool's number one transfer target, with a rumoured price tag on his head that goes as high as £150milllion.
His performances at the World Cup in Qatar so far will only consolidate such a lofty valuation, but ex-Red Ince - a former England international midfielder himself - could not be more pleased with the teenager's meteoric rise.
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Speaking exclusively to ICE36 Live Casino , Ince aid: " I think the sky’s the limit for the kid. I remember watching him at Birmingham and I thought he was going to be a player. Going to Dortmund at such a young age says a lot about his maturity and who he is as a person. I was interested to see how he coped with that move, but since going over there he has been one of Dortmund’s best players. Having played abroad myself for a big club, I know how difficult it can be to settle in - it normally takes a few months, but he seemed to have settled immediately.
"He will only get better and hopefully he will become a world-class player. He still has a lot of learning to do and a long way to go, but the potential is massive. I like the way he plays the game - he can do it all in the midfield - and that is something that is missing in modern-day football. He is an authentic box-to-box midfielder player. He has all the attributes of a six, and eight and a 10.
"These days, most midfielders have a designated position and we haven’t seen many all-rounders, players like Keane, Vieira or Gerrard in their prime, but Bellingham is one of them and he seems like he can do it all. He has everything in his locker, and that’s what I like about him."
Speculation about a move to one of Europe's top-tier clubs has rumbled on for months, with Liverpool not the only club interested in Bellingham. Manchester City, Real Madrid and Paris Saint Germain have all been linked with the midfielder in recent weeks.
Like Bellingham, Ince played football abroad, representing Inter Milan in Serie A, where he became a fans' favourite. But although he can see the Dortmund ace eventually coming to the Premier League, the Reading boss believes there is no rush to do so when he is developing well at club like Dortmund.
Bellingham has been thrown into the world's spotlight with his performances for England, but if the Three Lions are to go all the way, Ince expects him to find another gear.
Ince, speaking ahead of England's last-16 clash with Senegal today, added: "I presume that one day he will come back to play in the Premier League but at the moment he is getting lots of games at Dortmund. I think he is at the right club in terms of his development.
"I really enjoy watching him play. I’m looking forward to seeing how he performs in the knockout stages against better teams. He will have to raise his game and he will be under pressure, so it will be interesting to see how he copes, but he’s passed every challenge that has been thrown at him."
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