Pep Guardiola has talked up the qualities of Real Madrid and England star Jude Bellingham ahead of Manchester City's first-leg encounter with Los Blancos in the Champions League quarter-finals on Tuesday.
After bursting onto the scene at boyhood club Birmingham City before spending three highly successful years developing into a key player at Borussia Dortmund, Bellingham decided to join Real Madrid for a reported £88m last summer.
The 20-year-old, who was linked with a number of English clubs including Man City before joining Real Madrid, has taken to the Spanish top flight by storm in his debut campaign with Los Blancos, and he is currently the joint-top scorer in La Liga with 16 goals in 23 appearances.
Bellingham has contributed with a total of 20 goals and 10 assists in 32 matches across all competitions this term, including four goals and four assists in six Champions League outings.
The 29-cap England international, who has been operating as an advanced midfielder under Carlo Ancelotti, is expected to start on Tuesday when Real Madrid welcome Man City to the Santiago Bernabeu.
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Guardiola full of praise for "brilliant" Bellingham
Ahead of the contest, Guardiola has heaped praise on Bellingham's intelligence as a footballer and believes that the midfielder has a bright future ahead of him.
Speaking at a press conference on Monday evening, Guardiola said: "He played as a 17-year-old once or twice when we face Borussia Dortmund and I said, not just the skills, but the difference is what he has in his brain and his mind.
"He came to this club with exceptional players and manager like Carlo [Ancelotti] who has the incredible ability to know the best position and Carlo found it, so he clicked quick.
"He's done an incredible season in terms of goals, assists, his presence in the box. Not just for Madrid, but with the national team too - he has been brilliant. At just 19, 20, he has a long, long career ahead of him."
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Rodri: 'Bellingham is so powerful and strong'
Rodri has also shared his thoughts on Bellingham, but the City midfielder believes that Real's No.5 is not the only player that they can focus on if they wish to come out on top over two legs.
"We know Jude because we have faced Dortmund - he is so powerful and strong, has the ability to arrive at the second line and control the game," Rodri told reporters.
"But I don't like focusing on one player - they have enormous potential in all the lines, and we have to adapt to that.
"They don't play the same way. They control and have a different way of playing. We respect Real. We know whatever happens it will never be finished. Even if things go good or bad tomorrow, we have the second leg.
"We know each other quite well in the last few years. We expect such a tough game tomorrow."
Man City, the holders of the Champions League, beat Real Madrid 5-1 on aggregate at the semi-final stage of last season's competition before beating Inter Milan 1-0, thanks to Rodri's second-half strike, in the final.
Oliver Thomas
