Jude Bellingham answers Micah Richards call as ex-Man City player 'sick of talking about him'

Micah Richards believes Jude Bellingham could be one of the best midfielders England have ever produced.

Another masterclass for the Three Lions showcased exactly why Manchester City and Liverpool were reportedly interested in signing him earlier this year. Aged just 20, Bellingham moved to Real Madrid - where he has bagged 10 goals in as many games.

England fans had only witnessed glimpses of Bellingham’s brilliance until a masterful performance against Scotland last month. The youngster - widely tipped to win a Ballon d’Or in the coming years - continued that mesmerising streak with another eye-catching performance against Italy.

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Former City defender Richards highlighted Bellingham as the one to watch ahead of the international break. He said: “Bellingham is the one we all want to see. I know we’ve talked about him many times on this show but I’m just so excited to see how far he can go now.

“That’s what I’m looking forward to. And seeing if we can play (attacking football) because there was a stage for six months when we were playing some incredible stuff. It seems to have dipped a little bit.”

It is safe to suggest Bellingham answered Richards’ call with a world-class showing against Italy. He earned the penalty for the first goal before bursting forward for the second, teeing up Marcus Rashford to blast home a ferocious strike.

Speaking on the The Rest Is Football podcast, Richards was left stunned by Bellingham, even claiming he is “sick” of eulogising the midfielder. The ex-City full-back also posed whether he is already one of England’s all-time greats.