Manager Carlo Ancelotti said Real Madrid are “lucky” to have the “fantastic” Jude Bellingham after the England midfielder impressed on debut in a 3-2 pre-season win against AC Milan in Los Angeles.
It was another Englishman, Fikayo Tomori, who got his name on the scoresheet, heading the opener for AC Milan, but two second-half goals from Federico Valverde and a superb winner from Vinicius Jr, who ran on to a sublime Luka Modric pass, sent the majority of fans in a 70,000 crowd at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena home happy.
Bellingham’s 62-minute debut had flashes of his natural technique and confidence, twice bringing roars of approval from the crowd and then praise from his manager Ancelotti.
In the opening stages Bellingham went on a mazy run by the touchline, leaving a couple of Milan defenders in his wake.
Then, as the opening period drew to a close, a brilliant first-time half-volleyed pass, blending dexterity and a sure touch in a crowded penalty area, almost put Brahim Diaz in on goal.
“It is rare to find player with this kind of quality,” Ancelotti said. “He is only 20, so he can improve. We are lucky to have him in our squad.
“He was fantastic. He has a lot of rhythm, moves well and has quality finding open spaces.”
Real paid Borussia Dortmund £88m to sign Bellingham on a six-year contract. They can already be assured the 20-year-old is the real deal.
At his public unveiling as a Real player last month, Bellingham said he liked the idea of being out of his “comfort zone”.
There is no club in the world where the glare is quite as intense for quite as long.
But everything about Bellingham – from his solid family background and parental guidance, to the bravery of his move to Dortmund from Birmingham aged only 17, to his decision not to join any of the Premier League suitors this summer in favour of a switch to the Bernabeu – suggests that if anyone can deal with what lies ahead, it is Bellingham.
“Real Madrid is a big team with big pressure, but from what he did at Borussia Dortmund, he is ready to accept that,” said football writer Joel Del Rio, who was covering the AC Milan game for Madrid-based newspaper Marca.
“He is a player who can do everything.”
Watching Bellingham in the build-up to the game and then the opening hour, before he was replaced with a congratulatory handshake from Ancelotti, was instructive.
First of all, Ancelotti picked him at the tip of a diamond, which is the role he has earmarked for the Midlander.
It allowed Bellingham to ghost and glide into positions of space as Toni Kross, deployed in the sitting position at the base of that midfield, could dictate play.
Despite his tender years and the elite trophy-winning environment he has joined, Bellingham is not scared to demand the ball. When he gets it, he rarely takes the easy option.
Ancelotti said: “He is distinct from our other midfielders and he is going to help us a lot.
“He could play left or right to use his characteristics, but his best position is as a number 10, where he has more possibility to get near to the opposition goal.”
Bellingham already seems to have a connection with former Manchester City forward Diaz.
The pair did the pre-match passing drill together and twice Bellingham almost set the 23-year-old up, first with a flicked pass with the outside of his right foot, which drew appeals for a penalty as Tomori slid in to block, then that beautifully delicate half-volley pass very few players can execute.
Tomori, 25, was in conversation with Bellingham after the game and told BBC Sport: “He is so elegant and will be a really good player for them. He said he has gelled in well and a few of the guys speak English, which makes it easier for him.
“It is good to see so many English players move to different countries. I know the Premier League is big, but there is football beyond that.”
Judging by the names of the back of the Madrid shirts being worn at the Rose Bowl, Bellingham is not yet vying with Vinicius in terms of popularity.
But there were still plenty of number five shirts – most famously worn by Zinedine Zidane, now with Bellingham on the back – in the crowd.
Bellingham was showing signs of tiredness when his outing was brought to an end and, with matches against Barcelona and Juventus to come before Real return to Madrid, it will be interesting to see how much involvement he has against Manchester United – who were so keen to sign him before he went to Dortmund – in Houston on Wednesday.
