Jude Bellingham, according to Rio Ferdinand, is already ahead of other England midfield superstars at the same age and possesses the skills and mindset necessary to win the Ballon d’Or in the future.

Bellingham completed a £113 million transfer from Borussia Dortmund to Real Madrid in June and has had an incredible start to the season.

The 20-year-old leads the La Liga scoring statistics after scoring five goals in his first four games for the Spanish powerhouses.

During the international break, Bellingham played a key part for England. The midfielder scored and assisted in the Three Lions’ 3-1 victory over Scotland.

Ferdinand compared Bellingham’s effect at the highest level at a young age to those of Michael Owen and Wayne Rooney on BBC Radio 5Live.

According to the former Man United defender, Owen and Rooney could both make a case that Bellingham wasn’t the best English player at his age.

However, Ferdinand said that as a 20-year-old, Bellingham had already surpassed fellow players Frank Lampard, Steven Gerrard, and Paul Scholes during his time at Manchester United.

He will be compared to players like Gerrard, Lampard, and Scholes, and Ferdinand stated that this will serve as the yardstick: “He is going to be pitted against people like Gerrard, Lampard, and Scholes.”He will then be able to win the Ballon d’Or. I think this kid is so good that I’ll be very astonished if he doesn’t end his career with at least one, possibly two, or three Ballon d’Or.

There have been guys who stand out in terms of skill, perhaps slightly more so than him, and you could make an argument for either position.But I don’t believe there has been, and I believe that is the most significant aspect of it, that one that has released the mentality that this kid has to do what he’s doing.”It is phenomenal and unheard of for a player to join Real Madrid and be the best player in his first four or five games.”Scholes made his Man United debut at the age of 19, and the following year he established himself as a regular starter, so Ferdinand’s comparison to three of England’s greatest midfielders seems realistic.The legendary Man United player made his Three Lions debut at the age of 22.

At age 20, Lampard had already established himself as a starter for West Ham but was yet to make his England debut. Gerrard, who is the same age as Bellingham, made his England debut and had established himself as a key member of the Liverpool club.Since Owen received the award in 2001, the forward, there has not been an English player to take home the Ballon d’Or.When Ronaldinho was chosen as the best player in the world in 2005, Lampard and Gerrard came in second and third place, respectively.

The most recent accolade for Bellingham comes from Ferdinand’s remarks, with former England captain Bryan Robson commenting in Mail Sport that we are seeing someone “very special.”Bellingham has the “physical attributes and technical ability of Zinedine Zidane,” according to Graeme Souness, implying he has the potential to become one of the game’s all-time greats.