Roy Keane, the outspoken Sky Sports analyst, has declared that Jude Bellingham – the 23‑year‑old England and Real Madrid midfielder – possesses the potential to rank among the very best players the game has ever seen. Keane’s praise came after England delivered a staggering 7‑0 demolition of Croatia in a Nations League fixture at Rijeka, a match that not only highlighted the team's attacking firepower but also underscored Bellingham’s growing influence on both ends of the pitch. In that encounter, Bellingham contributed a goal and provided three assists, directly influencing four of England’s seven scores.
The victory marked Croatia’s heaviest defeat in recent memory and was achieved before a modest crowd, yet the performance resonated far beyond the stadium’s walls. Keane lauded Bellingham as the standout player, noting that his display was a “complete performance” and that he has emerged as a “huge leader for England.” The midfielder’s ascent has been rapid.
After a standout World Cup showing where he was widely regarded as England’s most impactful player, Bellingham has become the focal point of Thomas Tuchel’s side. Since the start of the tournament, he has amassed 13 goal involvements in just 11 matches – a ratio that would be enviable for any world‑class attacker.
Keane emphasized that Bellingham’s contributions extend far beyond his technical skill; his work rate off the ball, his pressing intensity, and his willingness to lift teammates have all become hallmarks of his game. "There’s still a lot more to come from Bellingham," Keane told ITV. "He can become one of the greatest players of all time.
His attitude for England recently… I have been praising him for being fantastic in possession, but what he is doing out of possession lifts all these players. If you have a player who is that good in your team, who is amazing in possession and is playing for Real Madrid and doing brilliant things, but his work rate off the ball, that will inspire all the other players." Keane also compared England’s performance to a “Gibraltar‑type of team,” suggesting that Croatia, ranked 14th globally, looked minuscule in comparison. The English side, according to him, delivered everything a fan could hope for – a balanced, relentless, and complete display.
Teammate Bukayo Saka, who netted a brace in the same match, echoed Keane’s admiration. Speaking to ITV, Saka called the night “amazing,” praising the team’s energy and spirit. He singled out Bellingham, saying, "He was amazing tonight, to be fair.
He deserved player of the year and probably man of the match as well. He was special. Happy to play with him and happy to have him in the England team." Tuchel, too, recognized the step‑up in Bellingham’s performances, though he cautioned that stagnation is not an option in elite football. "Yes, at the moment it seems like that and you always need to," the manager said when asked whether Bellingham had elevated his game.
"The level you showed last week is never enough in the next week – that’s just the nature of football. We adjusted some things, gave the players a lot of responsibility and they are a group to be trusted. It was impressive. It was the first time that this group played like this together again and they were very good and the translation from the last two matches, from the training sessions and the meetings into this match was on the highest level." Under Tuchel’s guidance, England has forged a formidable front four: Harry Kane, Jude Bellingham, Bukayo Saka and Anthony Gordon.
All four found the back of the net against Croatia, underscoring the fluidity and versatility of the attacking unit. Kane, the captain, explained the fluid roles: "There’s freedom.
All four of us are good players, we can play in the 10 pocket, Ant can play as a No 9, B can come in as a No 10, Jude can play as a No 9, I can play as a midfielder. It’s so hard for the opposition to pick it up. The bottom line is if you lose the ball, we’re all smart enough and good enough to cover in midfield or defence.
That’s the way we want to play. For them it was so hard to pick a man and press." Tuchel added that the success of the quartet stems from the support of the full‑backs and the seamless movement behind the front line. He emphasized continuity, saying he deliberately avoided excessive rotation to nurture the players’ understanding and automaticity.
"They get better and better. That’s why I didn’t want to change so much from match to match, to get the fluidity going and to get the movements going and to get the automatisms right within the front four but they are very good together at the moment. They enjoy playing together and the work rate is on a high level and the counter‑press is on a high level so these are complete performances. The full‑backs keep on pushing and supporting and the midfielders keep on pushing and supporting, so it’s always a team effort, but the front four look very dangerous at the moment," Tuchel explained.
Rob Dorsett of Sky Sports News summed up the spectacle from Rijeka’s HNK Stadion: "England sank Croatia without a trace on the Adriatic coast, with the Good Ship Tuchel now full steam ahead after the World Cup supporter mutiny. No one could have predicted a performance of this utter dominance against the team ranked 14 in the world. England cut through a woeful Croatia midfield and defence at will, like a red‑hot knife carving through softened butter, and Tuchel’s front men had a field day. Two goals for Captain Kane with an assist to boot.
Two goals for Saka, which will have been a timely confidence boost for the Arsenal man. There was a goal and a hat‑trick of assists for the irrepressible Jude Bellingham, alongside a goal and an assist for the equally magnificent Anthony Gordon. Croatia were simply blown away, and England could have won by more. When England are rampaging all over the pitch like this, winning back possession when they have no right to do so, passing forward at every opportunity and finishing ruthlessly, there is no better team in world football to watch.
Seven‑nil in Rijeka does not flatter them. This was a statement victory, and a marker of what they are capable of." The consensus among pundits, teammates, and the manager is clear: Jude Bellingham is not merely a rising star; he is on a trajectory that could see him etched alongside the legends of the sport. His blend of technical brilliance, tactical intelligence, and indefatigable work ethic positions him to potentially become one of football’s all‑time greats, provided he continues to evolve and adapt in the ever‑changing landscape of elite competition.