Rio Ferdinand has claimed Jude Bellingham has the ability and mentality required to win the Ballon d'Or in the future, adding that the Real Madrid star is already ahead of fellow England midfield legends at the same age.
Bellingham has enjoyed a stunning start to the season after completing a £113m move from Borussia Dortmund to Real Madrid in June.
The 20-year-old has scored five goals in his opening four matches for the Spanish giants to stand at the top of La Liga's goalscoring charts."The former Man United defender suggested both Owen and Rooney would have an argument to say Bellingham was not the best English talent at the same age.
Ferdinand, however, suggested Bellingham was ahead of his former Man United team-mate Paul Scholes as a 20-year-old, as well as fellow Frank Lampard and Steven Gerrard.
'He is going to be pitted against people like Gerrard, Lampard, Scholes, and I would say right now, comfortably, that none of those players were doing anything like what he’s doing at this age and that’s the yardstick,' Ferdinand said.
'So he can go on and win Ballon d’Ors. I’ll be very surprised if this kid doesn’t finish his career with at least one, maybe two or three Ballon d’Ors, because I think he’s that good.
'There’s been players who stand out ability wise maybe the same or a bit more than him and you could argue the case either way.
'But I don’t think there’s been, which I think is the most important part of it, that one that has come out with the mentality that this kid has to do what’s he’s doing.
‘To go to Real Madrid and be the best players in his first four or five games is phenomenal, unheard of.’
Ferdinand's comparison to three of England's midfield greats appears accurate, with Scholes making his Man United debut at the age of 19, before emerging as a regular starter the following year
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