Jude Bellingham Rolls the Clock Back 33 Years to Earn the Greatest Praise Imaginable

Jude Bellingham can become one of the best players of all time, according to legendary midfielder turned pundit Roy Keane.

The 23-year-old, who was named England Men’s Player of the Year 2025–26, scored one and set up three in England’s 7–0 rout of Croatia in the UEFA Nations League on Saturday.

A key player under manager Thomas Tuchel, Bellingham was one of the standout performers of the 2026 World Cup, scoring seven times as England finished the tournament third. He has continued his international form into the Nations League campaign and now has 13 goal involvements in his last 11 matches.

Meanwhile, for his club, the Real Madrid superstar has started 2026–27 strongly with three goals and two assists in seven outings, operating as the designated No. 10 in new manager José Mourinho’s system.

‘One of the Greatest of All Time’—Keane Heaps Praise on Bellingham

Thomas Tuchel (left) and Jude Bellingham hugging. — Roy Keane insists there is more to come from Bellingham. | Eddie Keogh/The FA/Getty Images

ITV pundit and former Manchester United captain Roy Keane—a man notoriously hard to please—was among those hugely impressed by Bellingham’s performance in Rijeka, which contributed to Croatia’s biggest-ever defeat.

“There’s still a lot more to come from [Bellingham],” Keane said. ”Bellingham can go on to 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, that 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.”

Bellingham’s England teammate Bukayo Saka was similarly enthused, telling reporters postmatch: “He [Bellingham] was amazing tonight to be fair. He deserved player of the year and he probably deserves man of the match tonight as well. He was special. Happy to play with him and happy to have him in the England team.”

Bellingham Matches 33-Year-Old England Feat

Jude Bellingham is playing his own game. pic.twitter.com/QYajplqsbm
— Sports Illustrated FC (@SI_FootballClub) October 3, 2026

As a result of his goal and hat trick of assists in Croatia, Bellingham became the first player since 1993 to register four goal involvements in a single game for England.

The last player to achieve the feat was David Platt was back in 1993, in a World Cup qualifier against San Marino—then 122nd in FIFA’s rankings, as reported by Opta.

The Three Lions famously conceded first in that match when Davide Gualtieri stunned the visitors inside the first minute. However, England rallied to win 7–1, with Platt getting four assists.

This week’s win over Croatia feels far more significant for England and Bellingham and their 7–0 scoreline marks the Three Lions’s biggest margin of victory against a top 50 ranked nation since 1992.

England faces Czechia in its final outing of the September-October international break on Tuesday with Bellingham in the mood for even more records.

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