Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has praised Borussia Dortmund midfielder Jude Bellingham ahead of the two sides’ Champions League clash on Tuesday.
Guardiola said the 19-year-old England international has “a special mentality”.
He added: “I think Dortmund is a perfect place for young talented players to come. Maybe (if) Bellingham went to a top Premier League team he wouldn’t get the minutes. The best way for a young player to get better is to play minutes.
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“At 17, he arrived. It’s not just about the quality, he had a special mentality. He is already one of the captains of the team, to happen at 19 is quite impressive.
“It’s not just about the goals, the whole package is really good. He’s already playing for England at 19. We know the quality he has.”
Bellingham has scored eight goals and provided two assists in 17 matches for Dortmund in all competitions this season.
The midfielder has also made 15 appearances for England, including starting both of their Nations League fixtures during last month’s international break.
Bellingham will have two years left on his Dortmund contract next summer, and many clubs have already shown interest in signing him, including City, Manchester United, Chelsea, and Real Madrid.
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Guardiola also spoke about fixture congestion in relation to next month’s World Cup in Qatar, saying “loads of players will miss the World Cup because of the insane fixtures”.
Guardiola said: “This is the first time in our lives this happened so we don’t know how players will come back from the World Cup.
“If six come back as champions they will be very happy, or they could come back depressed. Some may get knocked out early and have holidays.
“But loads of players will miss the World Cup because of the insane fixtures. We will see when they come back, we will smell it then the routine on a daily basis will adapt.”
The World Cup begins on November 20 and you can find all the latest news on the tournament here.
(Photo: Getty Images)