Jude Bellingham has revealed in private that he thinks Real Madrid team-mate and Turkey youngster Arda Guler could be even better than him.
The Real Madrid star disclosed the tip-off to creator of the Golden Boy award, Massimo Franchi, when the England international was awarded the trophy in 2023. Franchi has opened up on how Bellingham told him all about Guler being world football's next big thing – and now the 19-year-old has lit up Euro 2024.
Guler joined Real Madrid from Fenerbahçe for €20million last summer and was part of the squad that saw Madrid win the Spanish Super Cup and the Champions League last season. However, the young Turkish international has really been making a name for himself during Euro 2024.
Golden Boy chief Franchi has now lifted the lid on how Bellingham told him all about the emergence of Guler at 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." he added.
Guler scored the opening goal in his country's 3-1 over Georgia with a stunning strike which made him the youngest goalscorer for a player making their debut in the Euros. He also picked up the Man of the Match award and, while he only played 20 minutes of Turkey's 3-0 defeat to Portugal in their following game, his impact has been readily felt with fans hoping he makes an appearance when Turkey face the Czech Republic on Wednesday.
The Golden Boy award recognises the best player under the age of 21 across Europe's top leagues. The prestigious trophy is judged on sporting performance, playing time and size of the club in which the players, born on or after 1 January 2004, play for. A player's performances in the national team and in European club competitions are also taken into account.
Bellingham joined an elite list of players, such as Gavi, Pedri, Erling Haaland, Lionel Messi, Wayne Rooney and Kylian Mbappé, when he scooped the award in December 2023. Guler, who has since netted six times in 12 appearances for Madrid since his switch, is not the only player who is making waves at the Euros to appear on Franchi's radar. Spanish star Lamine Yamal, who has also been turning heads in the Euros, was also spoken highly of with Franchi saying: "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."