Jude Bellingham is a working class hero, while Phil Foden would have been fantastic at any club – his journey to the top has been easier.
Jude Bellingham is a working-class hero who boasts a “bigger aura” than his England team-mate Phil Foden.
That's according to the talkSPORT presenter. Mark Goldbridgewho believes Manchester City star Foden would have dazzled at any club, even without the guidance of Pep Guardiola.
The City and Real Madrid players will be protagonists of the Three lions at Euro 2024 this summer, and fans will be hoping they can inspire England to win their first trophy in 58 years.
But first they must face each other in the second leg of the Champions League quarterfinals in the etihadwhere the scores are tied at 3-3.
Foden scored his 22nd goal of the season at the Bernabéu in the first leg, while the Real Madrid midfielder Bellingham he was unable to increase his tally to 20 strikes.
The couple goes to the meeting on Wednesday night. live on talkSPORT 2 – as two of the fittest footballers in Europe, and Goldbridge claimed the fact Bellingham started in the Championship with Birmingham gives him an advantage over Foden.
He told talkSPORT: “All my life you've had people who have had to work for things, you used to have working class heroes and now you've got the silver spoon brigade.
“Look, there is nothing wrong with being born in a comfortable environment, I feel that Pep and Foden are cut from the same cloth.
“Foden has joined a Manchester City team that is dominating football and has done fantastically well, while Jude Bellingham started at Birmingham City, went to (Borussia) Dortmund and is now at Real Madrid.
“Integrity is a word that gets thrown around a lot at Man City and fair or not, I think the integrity of Bellingham’s journey is tougher.
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“And it's more the comics I used to read as a kid – 'Roy of the Rovers' – where you start at the bottom and work your way up.
“So I think Bellingham's story is more compelling, and I think as a player, he's more compelling as well, I just like the fact that he's playing at the center of a real Madrid equipment.
“Whatever Real Madrid is in world football, it is still Real Madrid, it still has that aura.
“While Foden, brilliant, what a goal (at the Bernabéu), he's playing very well and I'm not taking anything away from him, but I think Bellingham has that bigger aura at the moment for me.”
Goldbridge was then quick to downplay Oasis legend Noel Gallagher's comments about Foden's appointment as Guardiola's greatest legacy in the city.
The Manchester United fan has argued that while the Spaniard has been the right coach for Foden's development, he would have reached the top regardless of Guardiola being in charge.
Comparing the situation with Lionel MessiAfter four years playing under Guardiola at Barcelona, Goldbridge commented: “If I make a lasagna from scratch tonight, then people will be able to praise me for making it.
“Energy'We put a prepared meal in the microwave and we have to say, 'Oh my God.'
“Pep Guardiola has this incredible ability to be there when incredible talent emerges; Pep Guardiola is not responsible for Lionel Messi.
“But Lionel Messi came out ahead at Barcelona and is not responsible for Phil Foden.
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“What I want to say with this is that Pep Guardiola is a great coach, but Phil Foden was going to be a great player and Lionel Messi was going to be a great player. You can tell they are from the street.” re of the beaches.
“They are magnetic footballers with the ball at their feet, yes, you need the right coach. Neil Warnock is not going to get the best out of Messi and Foden.
“But Noel Gallagher, when he talks about Manchester City, he has those blue glasses, Foden is a better player for playing with Pep.
“But if you know football, Foden's natural talent, he would have been a Arsenal, united man and Liverpool Great, he has that thing that the best footballers have and you can see it when he has the ball.”
