Germany midfielder Toni Kroos describes his Real Madrid teammate Jude Bellingham as “the complete package” and believes he can manage the high expectations of English fans at Euro 2024.
Kroos, who played alongside the 20-year-old in Real’s Champions League final victory at Wembley on 1 June, remarks that Bellingham’s maturity and demeanor are beyond his years.
“I’ve had a year with Jude and had to ask how old he really is. He’s 20 but – and particularly off the field – he feels to be a fair bit more mature than that,” said Kroos, 34.
England are among the pre-tournament favourites and Bellingham trained alongside all 25 of his team-mates at their open training session in Jena on Tuesday.
Bellingham, who became Birmingham City’s youngest ever player in August 2019 at 16 years and 38 days old and made his England debut in November 2020, is expected to play a central role in the Three Lions’ bid for glory in Germany.
“It speaks for him that there is so much hope resting on him in England,” said Kroos. “At Real, in the first few weeks, he was directly decisive for us. I didn’t feel he had any problems as his importance to the team grew.
“He’s a guy who can handle this pressure. This personality at just 20 years of age – it’s no problem for him to withstand the pressure.”
Gareth Southgate’s side begin their campaign against Serbia in Gelsenkirchen on Sunday.
‘A bit too cheesy but I’ll take it’
Toni Kroos will retire from his illustrious career after this summer’s European Championship, which kicks off with Germany facing Scotland in Munich on Friday.
The 2014 World Cup winner began his senior career at Bayern Munich before transferring to Real Madrid, where he recently secured his sixth Champions League title with a 2-0 victory over Borussia Dortmund.
Having stepped away from international football after Germany’s last-16 exit to England at Euro 2020, Kroos states he wouldn’t have rejoined the national team in February if he didn’t believe the hosts could win the tournament.
“That ending would be a bit too cheesy, with the Champions League and the European Championship, but I’ll take it,” said Kroos.
“It went hand-in-hand with the decision to come back.
“I still want to be successful and I want to win the tournament this summer. That’s quite clear.
“If I didn’t feel this idea – or this fantasy – was possible, then I wouldn’t have come back, because it’s always about winning any competition I play in.”