Jude Bellingham breaks Man Utd legend's England record

Thomas Tuchel's first England lineup saw Jude Bellingham earn his 41st senior cap, surpassing the record haul for any player aged 21 or under, a high watermark previously held by Wayne Rooney.

Despite his perceived seniority, the Real Madrid midfielder is still not allowed to rent a car in this country. Arsenal's debutant international Myles Lewis-Skelly was the only player in the starting XI against Albania younger than Bellingham. Yet, much like Rooney, he carries himself with the command of a significantly more senior player. And he has the caps to match that swagger.

Rooney's supernova stardom arguably burned even brighter than Bellingham's at the very start of his England career. The Three Lions boss Sven-Goran Eriksson was not questioned when he directly compared the 18-year-old forward to the great Pele during Euro 2004. Rooney's prodigious talent helped England romp to the quarter-finals of that tournament before he limped off injured before their penalty shootout defeat to Portugal.

Two decades on, Bellingham's goals helped England reach the final of Euro 2024 - although they were once again beaten by an Iberian opponent, on this occasion Spain.

Rooney boasted a then-record haul of 40 caps by the time he turned 22 in October 2007. Bellingham surpassed the Manchester United icon's tally against Albania and could feasibly wind up with 43 senior appearances before he celebrates his birthday at the end of June.

Despite seemingly being from different eras, Rooney and Bellingham did briefly cross paths on the pitch, going head-to-head, toe to blood-soaked toe for more than an hour in England's second tier during the lockdown summer of 2020.

Rooney, who by then was at the tail-end of his playing career at 34, was impressed by a player half his age. "I was at Derby and he was at Birmingham," the senior figure recalled. "I was playing deep in midfield controlling the game and he man-marked me. I kept dragging him outside and he didn't like it. What I love about him is that when he goes in for a tackle, he leaves a mark on me, a bit like I would."

The similarities are not accidental. When Bellingham was crowned the best player aged 21 or under in the world in 2023, he hailed Rooney as his "biggest influence growing up", reasoning: "Being from England, the way he played, the way he fought."

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