Carlo Ancelotti tells Real Madrid players ‘get used to Jude Bellingham’s quality’ after ‘fantastic’ attacking debut

Carlo Ancelotti has given huge praise to Jude Bellingham on his Real Madrid debut, saying other players need to match his quality.

The England midfielder took to the pitch as a Madridista for the first time against his manager’s old team AC Milan, and played 64 minutes in a 3-2 win.

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The friendly at the Rose Bowl stadium in California offered plenty of entertainment to those in attendance as Madrid came back from 2-0 down to win.

Of the outfield players who started the match, only Bellingham and Fede Valverde survived a half-time team change after a poor opening 45 minutes, and Valverde then scored two goals before Vinicius Jr’s winner.

However, it was Bellingham that impressed Ancelotti the most, as he praised the £114million signing’s impact in a new 4-3-1-2 system.

“I liked it [the new formation],” Ancelotti told the media post-match. 

“There are things that we have to modify a bit. It was a bit difficult for us to start from behind. We try to play a little more on the inside than on the outside. 

“Bellingham’s position has been good and he has played a good game, the team must now get used to his quality. We have to enjoy his arrival during the season. 

“I liked the system. Sometimes the pressure has not been correct, but my feeling is good.”

He added: “It’s rare to find players with that kind of quality, and it’s strange to find him at 20 years old. He has room to improve, but we are lucky to have him with us.”

Bellingham’s versatility has long marked him out as a manager’s dream, able to play in a number of midfield positions, and against Milan he was used behind the strikers as a no.10.

Discussing that decision, the Italian said: “He is a fantastic player, very important. A complete midfielder, who has a lot of intensity and moves very well without the ball. 

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“He is different from the other midfielders we have. He finds holes and adds something else to this team that has extraordinary quality.”

Speaking further on Bellingham’s position, Ancelotti added: “For the system we have used today, he will be the number ‘ten’, if we play with a 4-3-3 he will be inside on the right. 

“For him, the best thing is to be a ‘ten’ because he is close to the area. It depends on the system. We have to wait a bit to find out how it goes during the season.

“If we play 4-3-3, the reference striker must be Rodrygo and on the outside we have Valverde, [Arda] Guler… We have options. We also have the option of playing with a midfielder and a striker, and in that case Bellingham-Rodrygo is the best option.”