‘I don’t want to big him up’ – Henderson wary of piling pressure on Bellingham ahead of World Cup debut for England
JORDAN HENDERSON is wary of heaping praise on Jude Bellingham as he fears the impact of piling on too much pressure.
Bellingham has emerged as one of England’s brightest prospects and is fighting for a place in the World Cup midfield.
Henderson, 32, is a big admirer of the Borussia Dortmund star, but finds himself reining in his plaudits.
He told The Mirror: “I like Jude, I think he’s an amazing player.
“He’s a fantastic professional and his mentality is really key for his development.
“I almost don’t want to big him up too much because he’s still a young lad!
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“There will be a lot of pressure on him at a young age, but of course he’s a top, top player, and I’m sure he’ll have a big part to play in Qatar.”
Bellingham made his senior international debut in a friendly against Ireland in November 2020.
At 17, he became England’s third-youngest full international, behind only Theo Walcott and Wayne Rooney.
Bellingham featured in three games during England’s European Championship campaign last summer.
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It only increased his transfer demand with Chelsea the latest club to register an interest in the Birmingham boy.
SunSport exclusively revealed Bellingham could be bought for £83m IF the fee is paid up front.
But according to The Telegraph, Chelsea are having to play “catch-up” after being told Liverpool and Real Madrid are leading the race.