Jude Bellingham says Jadon Sancho's skills are "scary", but the young Englishman reckons his compatriot isn't even the best player at Borussia Dortmund.

Bellingham joined Dortmund from Birmingham City last summer at 17, the same age that Sancho had left Manchester City to sign for BVB in 2017.

Sancho, now 20, has made a major impact in the three seasons since, netting 30 goals in 86 Bundesliga matches and topping the division's assists chart in 2018/19. He has also made a significant impression on Bellingham both on and off the pitch.

Watch: Jude Bellingham's first day at Borussia Dortmund

"When Jadon is on it, it's frightening. Some of the stuff I’ve seen him do is scary, and I've only been here a few months," Bellingham told the January 2021 issue of Four Four Two.

"When I first arrived in Dortmund, he was the one who really helped me out. He was like, 'Do you need this, do you understand what this is, do you know how to get this?' He didn't need to do that. He could have just gone about his own business and worried about himself, so for him to take the time to do that tells you a lot about what he's like as a character."

Sancho's own bold move to the Bundesliga also had an effect. Bellingham was one of the most sought-after fledgling talents in the world game, but saw the Signal Iduna Park as the ideal place to progress as a result of seeing Sancho excel in BVB's black-and-yellow shirt.

About the players

22

Raphaël Adelino José

Guerreiro

FC Bayern München

22

Jude Victor William

Bellingham

Borussia Dortmund

10

Jadon Malik

Sancho

Borussia Dortmund

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"It's massive," the teenager explained. "Jadon is a big example for someone English and my age. We're all trying to play but, specifically, we're trying to make that next step into Europe's elite – especially if you've already played at a certain level. Jadon's done that perfectly."

For all his admiration, Bellingham can justifiably claim to be ahead of the steep curve that Sancho set. The England international winger played just 16 minutes of Bundesliga football in his first half-season with Dortmund; Bellingham had already played 67 minutes - and recorded an assist - come the end of his German top-flight debut on Matchday 1 of the 2020/21 campaign.

He has gone on to make a further seven league appearances and has featured in all of Dortmund's six UEFA Champions League group stage games, helping Lucien Favre's men into the knockout stages.

Raphaël Guerreiro dribbles round his Borussia Dortmund teammates for fun, says Jude Bellingham. - Christof Koepsel/Bongarts/Getty Images

Bellingham even earned his first senior England cap in November, while Sancho had had to wait until he had turned 18 for his. Despite having carved out a place for himself among the continent's elite players, however, Bellingham remains starry eyed in Dortmund training with one of his teammates in particular.

"The one player not many people recognise or talk about too much is Raphael Guerreiro," he said. "Honestly, he only plays with his left foot but some of the things he can do – his passing, his dribbling – he makes look easy. He runs rings around everyone. To him, it's a laugh."

About the clubs

Borussia Dortmund

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