Roy Keane: Jude Bellingham has the qualities to become an all-time great

Roy Keane believes Jude Bellingham can develop into one of football’s greatest-ever players after the Real Madrid and England midfielder inspired a 7-0 win over Croatia in Rijeka.

Bellingham scored once and created three goals as Thomas Tuchel’s side produced one of England’s most emphatic away victories in recent memory on Saturday evening.

Harry Kane and Bukayo Saka both scored twice, while Anthony Gordon and substitute Morgan Rogers were also on target. However, Bellingham was central to England’s attacking display from the outset.

He supplied the pass for Kane to open the scoring, converted Gordon’s cut-back for England’s second and set up Saka’s first goal before releasing Rogers to complete the scoring.

Keane, the former Manchester United and Republic of Ireland midfielder, was full of praise for Bellingham after the final whistle.

“Bellingham can go on to be one of the greatest players of all time,” Keane said.

“At this moment in time, he is an amazing footballer. The package – his running power, his delivery, his goal threat.

“The way he is progressing as a player, I still think there is a lot more to come from him.”

The former midfielder also highlighted Bellingham’s work without the ball, saying his effort and intensity had a positive effect on the players around him.

“He has been fantastic in possession, but what he does out of possession lifts all these other players,” Keane said.

“If you have a player that good in your team, who is amazing in possession and he’s playing for Real Madrid and doing brilliant things, but his work rate off the ball… that will just inspire other players. He is a huge leader for them.”

Former England forward Ian Wright was similarly impressed by Bellingham’s energy and consistency throughout the match.

“When Bellingham is on the pitch, he is always driving forward and going again and again,” Wright said.

“He was involved in everything. His athleticism, his technical ability, his intensity. He never lets up, the way he gets in the box, he is always in there unmarked. He is always in there.”

Croatia’s defeat was their heaviest, while England’s performance further underlined the confidence building under Tuchel.

For Bellingham, the performance added to his growing importance to the side. His physical strength, technical quality, goal threat and relentless running made him the driving force behind England’s victory and prompted Keane’s comparison with the greatest players in the history of the game.