Bellingham named Bundesliga player of the year, Mbappe takes the honours in France
Borussia Dortmund star Jude Bellingham
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Two days after the heartbreak of watching his team lose the
German title in the last match, Dortmund's teenage midfielder Jude Bellingham
was on Monday named Bundesliga player of the season.
The 19-year-old England international collected most votes in a 'Team of the Season' poll.
Meanwhile, in France, Kylian Mbappe bagged the most valuable
player award for the fourth year in a row after helping Paris Saint-Germain win
the Ligue 1 title.
Bellingham, who suffered a late-season knee injury, was an
unused substitute as Dortmund drew 2-2 at home to Mainz on Saturday to allow
Bayern Munich to take top spot on goal difference.
Bellingham appeared in 31 of his team's 34 games starting in
30, 2,693 league minutes, the most of any player at the club, scoring eight
goals and providing four assists.
"Every year or half year that I've played at the club,
my responsibility in the team has increased," he was quoted as saying on
the Bundesliga site.
"I came to the club as a talented lad, but I have added
elements to my game that have taken it to the next level."
"I have to continue to be everywhere on the pitch and
try my best to contribute going forwards and backwards and try and control
games, try to dominate the midfield," he said.
"I want my teammates to see that I'm always doing
everything I can to make sure we win. If we lose a game, I'm the worst
person."
The midfielder, who signed for Dortmund at 17 from English
Championship team Birmingham City for 29 million euros ($32 million), had a
starring role in England's midfield at the World Cup last year, and has been
heavily linked with a move to Real Madrid or Manchester City in the summer.
When he led his team out at Cologne in October, Bellingham
became the youngest match captain since the Bundesliga started recording the
data in 1995.
His coach Edin Terzic called Bellingham "the oldest
19-year-old in the world".
According to Bundesliga statistics, over the season,
Bellingham, also covered more distance (322 km) than any of his teammates and won
482 'duels', a league high.
Bellingham was one of four Dortmund players in the team of
the season selected by a vote of 'fans,
clubs and experts'.
Bundesliga team of
the season:
Goalkeeper: Gregor Kobel (Borussia Dortmund); Defenders: Jeremie Frimpong (Bayer Leverkusen), Matthijs de Ligt (Bayern Munich), Nico Schlotterbeck (Borussia Dortmund), Alphonso Davies (Bayern Munich); Midfielders: Julian Brandt (Borussia Dortmund), Jude Bellingham (Borussia Dortmund), Jamal Musiala (Bayern Munich); Forwards: Moussa Diaby (Bayer Leverkusen), Randal Kolo Muani (Eintracht Frankfurt), Niclas Fuellkrug (Werder Bremen).


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