Graeme Le Saux believes Jude Bellingham is a shining example for young English footballers and called on more to head to LaLiga.
Le Saux, 54, currently works as a non-executive director for Mallorca and admits he would be excited to see more talent swap England for Spain.
Speaking as part of the league’s Club Spotlight programme, he said: “Players that stand out and are playing for the best clubs in the world in terms of Real Madrid, they have to be a beacon for other players.
“Jude is the exception of the generation at the moment, what he is doing at such a young age with his personality and level-headedness, he is a wonderful example of how good a young player can be on and off the pitch.
“His experience of playing in Germany and now moving to Spain, that breadth of experience he gets that is going to help him on and off the pitch is absolutely phenomenal.
“Jude’s influence is even more increased because he is playing in Spain, he is learning about the different styles and tempos of the game.
“He knows how he has to perform as a player is different to England and Germany. The toolkit he is building is fantastic.”
England’s young star has scored eight times in as many league matches for Los Blancos but Le Saux still believes there are barriers for English players thinking of moving away from home.
Only 12 have played in Spain’s top flight since 1992 but the former Three Lions left-back is hoping that clubs like Mallorca can increase that number.
He said: “One of the challenges for English players and us as a Spanish club is that the English market is so uniquely set up and disproportionate in terms of transfer fees and salaries that it becomes prohibited.
“The challenge is to open things up to younger players who are thinking, ‘Do you know what, I can get more experience, a different experience, at a better club of my level than just staying within English football’.
“I think that would be good for Spain but also for England as well.
“Bringing players back that have got European or high-level experience in other leagues can only benefit them and it helps them on a national team level as well, that influence they can then have.
“I would be just as excited for a young talented 20-year-old playing for one of the other LaLiga teams without the status of Real Madrid because I think that is another example for all of those players out there to think, ‘OK, this is something I want to do’.”
