England footballer Jude Bellingham has compared Arsenal star Bukayo Saka with Lionel Messi after his cameo off the bench for his country.
The winger has recently been on international duty with the Three Lions and played a huge role in helping Gareth Southgate’s men pick up a 3-3 draw against Germany earlier this week.
Despite going 2-0 down, Saka played a key role in the comeback for England – most notably providing one eye-catching assist for Mason Mount – in a stunning 24-minute cameo as a substitute.
It seems as though teammate Bellingham was also taken aback by the Arsenal winger’s efforts and commented on Saka’s Instagram post after the game.
The 21-year-old wrote: “Showed great character tonight and we deserved more in the end! Thank you Wembley for your support.”
The Borussia Dortmund star simply replied: “Leo.”
TIF Thoughts on Bukayo Saka and Arsenal…
Considering Messi has won the Ballon d’Or seven times in his career and is considered by many as the greatest-ever footballer, it certainly is high praise from Bellingham to make the comparison, even if a little tongue-in-cheek.
Saka, though, was recently named the England Player of the Year, so while he may be a way off Messi yet, he’s certainly on the path to having a career at the highest level, especially as he is still only 21 years of age.
And seeing as Manchester City star Kevin De Bruyne is the only player to have more assists (six) than Saka’s four in the Premier League this term, it’s safe to say the England international is showing plenty of glimpses of quality every time he steps on the football pitch for club or country.
Having left Saka on the bench initially for the Germany game, Southgate may well trust the winger to start when the World Cup begins in November. After that display, it would be hard to argue against such a call.