“The more I watch him, I love the way he plays” – Michael Owen admits he was ‘wrong’ about Liverpool target at first

Michael Owen has said that he was incorrect in his initial assessment of Liverpool target Jude Bellingham.

The teenager's passionate celebration with Jordan Henderson during England's Round of 16 clash against Senegal at the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar strengthened speculations that he could be headed to Anfield.

Bellingham was imperious at the World Cup. Despite the Three Lions crashing out in the quarterfinal to France, the Borussia Dortmund midfielder earned plaudits for his performances.

Owen has now admitted that he was wrong about the player. Speaking to The Telegraph, the Liverpool legend said (via Rousing the Kop):

“He does almost too much, and at first I thought ‘Jeez Jude, you’re wasting energy covering too much ground because of your inexperience, “I was wrong; the more I watch him, I love the way he plays. A lot of people, when they become very good, it almost becomes uncool to do the hard yards and the stuff you don’t really get loads of praise (for)."

He added:

“He is so groundedl he does good things, great runs and scores goals, but when players make a name for themselves, they sometimes save their energy for the big, headline-grabbing moments. He does the stuff managers and teammates really notice.”

Bellingham racked up a goal, his first in international football, and an assist in five games for the Three Lions.

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Liverpool assistant manager Pep Lijnders on midseason break

Liverpool Trophy Parade

The FIFA World Cup break is over, and the Reds are now back in action. Jurgen Klopp's assistant Pep Lijnders recently spoke about whether the FIFA World Cup break came at the right time for Liverpool.

Speaking ahead of the clash against Manchester City, Lijnders said (via the club's official website):

"I don't know, I think we were on our way back towards the end, to be honest. Sometimes, I felt that for sure that when we got the momentum it would be the World Cup. You have to take life how it is. A lot of things you just cannot change, so you have to make the best out of what you can change and that's what we always try to do."

He continued:

"We used this time, which was really helpful, not just to train the lungs, the legs and the heart, but also to work the eyes and the mind with video meetings. We know we can still be successful because there are many things to play for, so that's what we are going to try."

Liverpool are playing City in the EFL Cup Round of 16 tonight (December 22).