Real Madrid kickstarted their UEFA Champions League campaign on Tuesday with a 3-1 victory over Bundesliga outfit VfB Stuttgart.
Apart from Endrick becoming the youngest Real Madrid player to score a goal in the competition, the game also witnessed the return of Jude Bellingham.
After a spell on the sidelines, the Englishman started in midfield and played eighty minutes, before being replaced by Endrick late in the game.
Seedorf sends warning to Bellingham
As Bellingham looks to return to full fitness and kickstart the new season, the midfielder has received a word of caution from footballing legend Clarence Seedorf.
Speaking to Daily Mail (h/t SPORT), Seedorf began explaining what it takes to thrive at the highest level of football, pointing out certain key facets such as “Lots of hours of work, staying fit, resting, even during matches.”
The Dutchman, who spent four years at Real Madrid, went on to point out how it is important to calibrate one’s energy, urging Bellingham not to make too many unnecessary runs in games.
“You have to know how to calibrate your energy. Bellingham is young, so he can learn to do it better,” he said.
“Sometimes he overdoes it in games, makes runs that aren’t necessary, even defensively. But all of that comes with experience. He’ll improve at that,” he added.
Seedorf expressed that it would be ‘disappointing’ to see Bellingham picking up more injuries in the future, as the youngster has immense potential.
“I just hope he doesn’t get injured too often because that would upset me. I want to see him create an incredible career, but staying fit and healthy is the most important thing. I hope he and the coaches can manage his energy so he can avoid injuries,” he concluded.
Since joining Real Madrid, Bellingham has had to endure three different spells on the sidelines, which is quite concerning.
It is, therefore, imperative that the team doctors take more precaution with Bellingham’s fitness, especially as Real Madrid brace themselves for a crucial period ahead.