"Jude Bellingham is an outstanding lad" - Borussia Dortmund head coach Marco Rose
Borussia Dortmund head coach Marco Rose had nothing but praise for Jude Bellingham after the England international capped the 3-1 win at Arminia Bielefeld with a quite brilliant individual goal.
Bellingham left three defenders wondering what had just happened to them, before clipping nonchalantly over advancing Arminia goalkeeper Stefan Ortega to bring up his third goal of the season in all competitions.
That a player of such a young age was able to snatch the headlines in a match that saw veteran Mats Hummels sink a stunning volley is testament to his amazing talent and potential.
"Jude's an outstanding lad," commented Rose at full-time in Bielefeld. "He's been an ever-present for weeks now. He’s in a great frame of mind and gives us so much. He never stops running and just plays so well."
Watch: Marco Rose hails Mats Hummels and Jude Bellingham
The statistics don't lie. Bellingham has won a league-high 117 duels so far this term, sits fourth for intensive runs (681) and leads the way at BVB for distance covered (57.1 miles/ 91.9 kilometres) and sprints (242).
The 18-year-old has also chipped in with seven assists, whilst starting all 14 of Dortmund's fixtures. Only injured star striker Erling Haaland has been involved in more goals for the club (13 of his own, plus four assists).
Bellingham has now played in 60 competitive matches since swapping Birmingham City for Dortmund in summer 2020. He has hand a direct hand in 18 goals in that time, including 10 of 32 BVB efforts in the early part of the current campaign.
An eight-time senior England international, the Stourbridge native was was rested for his country's 2022 FIFA World Cup qualifiers against Andorra and Hungary earlier this month. Given his form, it seems a certainty that Gareth Southgate will be back on the phone to the 2021 Golden Boy candidate ahead of November ties with Albania and San Marino.