Bellingham privately mentioned he reckons Euros wonderkid shall be ‘better than him’
Jude Bellingham has privately tipped that his Real Madrid team-mate, Arda Guler, could potentially outshine him in years to come.
The revelation was made to Massimo Franchi, the creator of the Golden Boy award, when the England international received the accolade in 2023. Franchi has now shared how Bellingham had spoken highly of the young Turkish sensation as the next big thing in world football – a prediction seemingly coming true as the 19-year-old continues to make waves at Euro 2024.
Guler, who moved to Real Madrid from Fenerbahce for a €20million last summer, was part of Carlo Ancelotti’s squad that clinched both the Spanish Super Cup and the Champions League last season. However, it’s during Euro 2024 that the young Turkish international is making fans take notice, reports the Mirror.
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Franchi, the chief of the Golden Boy award, has revealed what Bellingham told him about Guler’s rise during last year’s ceremony. “Jude told me in December last year that Real Madrid had a fantastic young player who is perhaps even a little bit better than him,” Franchi said.
“Turkey’s Arda Guler, who scored an amazing goal against Georgia. According to Bellingham, he was doing incredible things in training and Guler was only 19 at the time.”
Guler made a stunning debut in the Euros, scoring the opening goal in Turkey’s 3-1 victory over Georgia and becoming the youngest debutant goalscorer. Despite only playing for 20 minutes in Turkey’s subsequent 3-0 loss to Portugal, his impact was significant, leaving fans eager for his appearance against the Czech Republic on Wednesday.
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(Image: Rico Brouwer/Soccrates/Getty Images)
The Golden Boy award honours the top player under 21 in Europe’s premier leagues. The esteemed accolade considers factors such as sporting performance, playing time, and the stature of the club for players born on or after 1 January 2004.
Performances in national team matches and European club competitions also contribute to the evaluation. Bellingham joined an exclusive group of players, including Gavi, Pedri, Erling Haaland, Lionel Messi, Wayne Rooney, and Kylian Mbappe, when he won the award in December 2023.
Guler, who has since scored six times in 12 appearances for Madrid, isn’t the only young talent making a splash at the Euros. Spanish prodigy Lamine Yamal, who has been impressing, received high praise from Franchi, who said: “His record debut in a European Championship against Croatia, at the age of 16 years and 338 days, confirms all the expectations placed on him. He is simply a player without limits.”
