Lucien Favre: 'With someone like Jude Bellingham, I don't look at the date of birth'
Borussia Dortmund coach Lucien Favre is excited about working with 17-year-old Jude Bellingham, who has impressed after his arrival from Birmingham City.
Borussia Dortmund beat a host of clubs to the signature of Jude Bellingham in July, paying €26.5 million to sign the 17-year-old central midfielder from Birmingham City.
And after an impressive pre-season, it appears the English under-21 international has a realistic chance of breaking into Dortmund's starting eleven.
"First and foremost, I am interested in playing intelligence. With someone like Bellingham, I don't look at the date of birth. He has the technical skills and a feel for space. That's why it's easy for me to work with such a talent," Borussia Dortmund coach Lucien Favre told Swiss news agency Keystone-SDA.
"Of course I'm happy to be working with a player like him. During pre-season, I've already got to know him better. I like the way he handles the ball, how he defends it. Jude gives us many tactical possibilities and has an amazing presence. He can play as a number six or number eight, is a good passer, tries to put himself in a finishing position. With him, different systems are possible. It's all very, very interesting."
Bellingham made 44 appearances for Birmingham last season, racking up four goals and three assists.