Real Madrid head coach Carlo Ancelotti has lavished praise on Jude Bellingham for the midfielder's impressive performance on his Los Blancos debut against AC Milan on Sunday night.
The England international, who has moved to Bernabeu this summer in a big-money deal from Borussia Dortmund, played 64 minutes of what proved to be a 3-2 success for the La Liga giants.
Milan found themselves two goals ahead at the interval of the contest in California, but a Federico Valverde brace levelled the scores before Vinicius Junior won it for Real Madrid in the 84th minute.
Ancelotti has said that he was "really impressed with Bellingham" and opened up on what the 20-year-old would bring to the team during the 2023-24 campaign.
"I was really impressed with Bellingham. We have things we have to alter, like the way we played out from the back. We tried to play more through the middle than out wide in order to make the most of space between the lines," Ancelotti told reporters following Real Madrid's first game of the summer.
"Bellingham played very well and the team has to get used to his quality, which is unbelievable. His arrival into the box is hugely important for the team.
"I like the system but we saw a few mistakes. We didn't play the ball out as we should have but I was pleased with the game overall.
"He's a fantastic player, very important for us because he's a complete midfielder and he brings real pace and intensity to the game.
"He moves extremely well without the ball and he's different from the other midfielders we have. He makes the most of the free space and adds another dimension to this squad, which is fantastic."
The Real Madrid head coach also paid tribute to Brahim Diaz, who is back at the club this summer following a loan spell at Milan; the Spaniard played the opening half of Sunday's friendly before being replaced.
"He came back strong. After two seasons with Milan, he has the ability to play for Real Madrid," said Ancelotti, who selected Diaz alongside Joselu in a front two.
""He has quality in that position, he plays nicely between the lines and he's another option for us. I hope we can enjoy his football all season.
"If we're going to play 4-3-3, my central striker is Rodrygo, who did it brilliantly last season. On the left, we've got Arda Guler and Valverde. We could also play with a number 10 and a central striker, like Bellingham and Rodrygo."
Real Madrid will continue their pre-season tour of the United States with a contest against bitter rivals Barcelona on July 29 before facing Juventus on August 2.
