Bellingham: Joining Real Madrid has made me a better player

Jude Bellingham celebrates after scoring for Real Madrid. [Real Madrid]

After producing a man-of-the-match performance to help England qualify for the UEFA Euro 2024 finals on Tuesday, Jude Bellingham said one of the reasons he is currently on the top of his game is his summer move to Spanish giants Real Madrid.

Bellingham won the penalty that helped Harry Kane pull England draw level with Italy in their qualifying game at Wembley before setting up Marcus Rashford for the second goal of the night, and Kane rounded off the 3-1 win with an individual goal.

Bellingham was at the heart of England's best moves, providing creativity and drive in the middle of the park as they dominated the second half.

Speaking after the final whistle, the 20-year-old, who impressed in last year's World Cup in Qatar, said moving to Spain had helped take him to another level.

"I want to stay at Real Madrid for the next 10 or 15 years of my life. This is where I want to be. I love being here. Being at Real Madrid improved me as a player. I'm 100% sure of this," said Bellingham.

He said that forming part of a dressing room with players such as Luka Modric, Toni Kroos and others who are used to winning major titles, was a key factor.

"Being close to those winning mentalities and players with such quality every day takes you to a new mental, physical and technical level," he said, with words of praise for coach Carlo Ancelotti.

"Ancelotti told me that the position where I am playing is where he sees me. I love the freedom they give me. The fact is that I have to deliver, whether it's a goal, an assist or a good performance, to win the game. Every game I play, I manage to improve a little," he said.

Bellingham has enjoyed a dream start to his time in Spain with 10 goals in 10 appearances in all competitions.