Jude Bellingham played football again and suddenly people are worried. He’s played a lot for someone aged only 19. Another 90 minutes for Borussia Dortmund last night. He’s a generational talent, for heaven’s sake. At this rate he’ll be retired by 22.
Only Wayne Rooney has played more minutes in a ‘Big Five league’ and for England before turning 20. Compare that with the minutes played by other generational talents such as Frank Lampard and Steven Gerrard.
We all know how Rooney’s career turned out. Well, besides the five Premier League titles and being United’s record goalscorer as well as England’s until a few days ago.
But he still finished in the top flight at 32 and was retired by 35. The same applied to another teenage prodigy, Michael Owen. Gerrard, Lampard and Paul Scholes, meanwhile, started later and had longer careers.
PS Bellingham has played 6,660 minutes in the Bundesliga. Lampard and Gerrard were 21 when they reached that mark in the Premier League, while Scholes was nearly 24.
Yet no one has played more Premier League minutes before the age of 20 than Gareth Barry, the all-time appearance record holder, who finished playing in the top flight aged 37.
So, let’s not worry about Bellingham just yet. He may reach his peak earlier than usual but he isn’t a usual player.
Advances have been made in sport nutrition and data analysis is now used to predict injuries and therefore avoid them, extending a footballer’s career. Bellingham also treats his body better than the prodigies who came before him.