Wayne Rooney scored 253 goals across 559 games for Manchester United (Picture: Getty)

Manchester United legend Park Ji-Sung has backed Jude Bellingham to follow in Wayne Rooney’s footsteps.

Rooney burst onto the scene as a teenager and went on to lift five Premier League trophies at Old Trafford and also won the Champions League, Europa League, FA Cup and three League Cups – scoring 253 goals across 559 games for United.

Bellingham, 19, has been considered one of the best young players in the world for a while but has taken his game to another level at the World Cup in Qatar and has been one of England’s most impressive stars across their first four games.

The Borussia Dortmund midfielder has been linked with a huge money move next summer and is likely to be able to pick whichever club he fancies, with United one of the teams attempting to lure him in.

Asked to compare Bellingham and Rooney, and if the teenager has the capability to go on and be an absolute superstar in England at a young age like the former United striker, Ji-Sung told talkSPORT: ‘Yeah, I think so.

‘He’s a young age but he’s been brilliant at Dortmund and at the World Cup. He’s the key man for England in the middle of the park.

‘He’s a really important player for England he has the potential to be the best in the world.’

Ji-Sung, who helped United win four Premier League titles and the Champions League between 2005 and 2012, was also quizzed if England could go all the way and win their first World Cup since 1966.

‘The expectations are so high in England because they have done very well under Gareth Southgate through the last World Cup and Euros,’ he added.

‘This World Cup could be their time to win the trophy, but it is not easy. The quarter-final against France is really big… let’s see how they deal with that.’

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