It seems moves are being made and pieces being discreetly shuffled around on the Anfield chessboard as Jude Bellingham’s inevitable return to English shores draws ever closer.
The Merseyside giants have seen it fit to up their charm offensive in order to ensure he ends up at Anfield, which says a lot for the impressive Borussia Dortmund youngster who impressed many with his masterclass in England’s 3-0 triumph over Ivory Coast on Tuesday.
The 18-year-old once wunderkind again lit up the pitch for the Three Lions at Wembley as the midfielder excelled from the onset after being handed a start by England manager Gareth Southgate. The lad’s dominant, and confident, display sent loaded missives not only to his England manager, but to his suitors in the Premier League as well, not least among whom are Liverpool.
The Reds have have most recently been heavily linked with the Borussia Dortmund talent even as his much-anticipated return to England is as inevitable as the waves hitting its shores. Naturally it is only understandable and least surprising that Klopp faces loads of competition for the young star. Fortunately, they may possibly have an ace tucked up their sleeve.
Liverpool’s staid Jordan Henderson, from his own lips, isn’t one to easily get carried away yet his remarks over Bellingham in the past week have been pretty revealing. Despite saying that he was not one who is inclined towards talking up fellow footballers, the Liverpool skipper was overwhelmed by the youngster’s performance and caliber and did not hesitate to lavish praise on the hugely in-demand Dortmund star.
“I don’t like speaking too highly of players, especially when they’re such a young age because everybody else seems to do that pretty quickly. But I’ve been very impressed,” Henderson told SPORTBible when discussing Bellingham earlier in the week.
“I like the way he plays.
“I like his personality, which is the most important thing. I like the way he conducts himself. I’ve got nothing but good things to say about him.
“He’s a great lad, a fantastic player and I’m sure he’ll go from strength to strength as he gets older and matures. When I watch him, he plays with such maturity even now. The sky is the limit for him really.”
With Liverpool so heavily linked to making a move for Bellingham in the near future, it appears Henderson has made the former Birmingham City starlet an exception to his own self-imposed rule. And there could very well be a reason for that.
It’s obviously not beyond anyone’s imagination that the Liverpool captain has been quietly tasked by his gaffer Jurgen Klopp with setting up a charm offensive in luring Bellingham to Anfield as his Premier League destination when he does depart Dortmund. Be as it may, Henderson is a clear admirer of Bellingham’s and seems to be experiencing great delight in taking the talented midfielder under his wing.
While less obvious than Southgate had been in admitting earlier in the week that it would be prudent for the youngster to take the next step of pursuing much greater goals in the Premier League, Henderson’s commendation of his fellow England midfielder hints that the latter would be a most welcome addition at Anfield. It would not require genius to deduce that Bellingham would be a worthwhile investment for years to come considering his remarkable talents and attributes despite being only 18.
“He’s got leadership qualities for sure but there’s no need to put that pressure on him right now,” Henderson remarked.
“Let him grow into the person that he can be on his own.
“He’s got his feet firmly on the ground [and] has such maturity for a young player. I know in my own mind that he’s going to be a top player.”
There seems to be little doubt that Liverpool’s secret weapon, the erstwhile skipper himself, is doing his utmost to ensure the midfielder ends up nowhere else but at Anfield.