Roy Keane backs Jude Bellingham to become one of the 'greatest of all time'

Bellingham produced another masterclass for England as Thomas Tuchel's side dismantled Croatia 7-0 in Rijeka on Saturday evening, delivering one of the Three Lions' most emphatic away performances in recent memory.

The Real Madrid midfielder scored once and provided three assists in a display that left two of English football's sharpest pundits in awe.

Harry Kane and Bukayo Saka each scored twice, with Anthony Gordon and substitute Morgan Rogers also on the scoresheet, but it was Bellingham who set the tone.

He threaded the pass for Kane's early opener, finished Gordon's pull-back for the second, created Saka's first-half goal, and later released Rogers for the seventh.

Speaking on ITV after the final whistle, former Manchester United and Republic of Ireland midfielder Roy Keane did not hold back in his praise.

"Bellingham can go on to be one of the greatest players of all time," Keane said.

"At this moment in time, he is an amazing footballer. The package - his running power, his delivery, his goal threat.

"The way he is progressing as a player, I still think there is a lot more to come from him."

Keane was particularly struck by Bellingham's contribution without the ball, arguing that the midfielder's work rate elevates those around him.

"He has been fantastic in possession, but what he does out of possession lifts all these other players," he said.

"If you have a player that good in your team, who is amazing in possession and he's playing for Real Madrid and doing brilliant things, but his work rate off the ball… that will just inspire other players. He is a huge leader for them."

Ian Wright was equally impressed by the intensity and consistency of Bellingham's performance.

"When Bellingham is on the pitch, he is always driving forward and going again and again," Wright said.

"He was involved in everything. His athleticism, his technical ability, his intensity. He never lets up, the way he gets in the box, he is always in there unmarked. He is always in there."

The result was Croatia's heaviest defeat and underlined England's growing confidence under Tuchel.

For Bellingham, it was another night that reinforced his status as the heartbeat of the side - a player whose combination of physical power, technical quality, goal threat and relentless energy is already drawing comparisons with the all-time greats.