Jude Bellingham has named his role model in football.
The England international’s injury-time equaliser against Belgium at Wembley on Tuesday was just the latest Hollywood moment in Bellingham’s short but glittering career.
The 20-year-old has scored some 20 goals and provided nine assists since joining Spanish giants Real Madrid in the summer, while he will be central to the Three Lions’ hopes of winning a first international trophy in 58 years at Euro 2024.
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At times not even Bellingham can believe how seamlessly he has ascended to world-class status.
"I wake up and I have to pinch myself, when I'm playing for England at Wembley or playing at the Bernabeu for Real Madrid," he told Sky News. "It's something that I could never dreamed of happening this early, but grateful to everyone who's played a part in my journey."
But he added that he wanted to consolidate his season with trophies.
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The midfielder said: "Being able to give my country and my team, Real Madrid, great experiences and great memories of lifting trophies.
"It's been really, really tough, but really fun, adapting to life in Spain and kind of having more responsibility with the Madrid team and with the national team.
"I'm kind of just trying to soak it all in and enjoy the experience and yeah, hopefully, improve and thrive on the back of it."
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Of course, it’s a lot of pressure on a young man’s shoulders and Bellingham has credited Jordan Henderson, his football “role model”, as a person who has helped him manage the weight of expectation.
He said: “I speak a lot with Jordan Henderson.
“He tells me to feel lucky to be able to play in this England team. He is like a role model to me so I try to listen to him a lot.
“When I joined England, he helped me to control the expectations people had of me.”
Chris Byfield