Craig Bellamy provides hilarious “phone booth” analogy on Manchester City’s Jeremy Doku | OneFootball

Wales international head coach and former Manchester City winger Craig Bellamy has offered a brilliant analogy on the exceptional qualities of Jeremy Doku this week.

Bellamy’s admiration for Doku stretches back years, long before the Belgian winger became one of Manchester City’s most electrifying attacking options under Pep Guardiola, and even more so this season.

Having worked closely with the young forward at Anderlecht during his early professional development, Bellamy has been well-placed to track Doku’s rise from a raw, unpredictable talent in Belgium to a key figure in the Premier League giants’ attack.

Since joining City from Stade Rennais in the summer of 2023, Doku has thrilled supporters with his fearless dribbling and explosive pace. Pep Guardiola’s side have used the winger’s one-versus-one ability to devastating effect, particularly against deep-lying defences.

The 23-year-old’s progress has drawn widespread praise from former players and coaches alike, with Craig Bellamy’s latest comments adding to the growing appreciation of how far Jeremy Doku has come in refining his end product and tactical maturity.

Speaking during a new interview with Sky Sports this week, as Wales went head-to-head with Belgium in FIFA World Cup qualification, Bellamy was keen to praise the exceptional qualities of Manchester City’s Jeremy Doku.

“Jeremy is incredible! Another player I was beyond lucky to work with,” the Welshman exclaimed, reflecting on their time together at RSC Anderlecht as Bellamy worked alongside Vincent Kompany in the club’s coaching staff set-up.

Bellamy continued on Doku, “He could lose you in a phone booth, he could go by you in a phone booth. I’ve not seen many players with that talent, I have to be honest, from a young age.

“It was always the final ball then, that’s what he needed to develop, and he has developed – we always thought he would do, it was just a matter of time.”

Craig Bellamy’s words echo what many within City’s setup have felt since Doku’s arrival, that his ceiling remains exceptionally high, viewing him as one of Guardiola’s most exciting long-term attacking options, capable of redefining how City approach wing play.

Looking ahead, Doku is expected to take on even greater responsibility this season, particularly as Pep Guardiola continues to rotate his attacking options amid a congested schedule.

With players such as Rayan Cherki and Phil Foden operating across multiple roles, Doku’s unpredictability and pace could make him a go-to figure for breaking stubborn defences both domestically and in Europe.

His development also mirrors Manchester City’s broader recruitment trend, which has increasingly focused on technical explosiveness and positional versatility – as seen with fellow young arrivals like Claudio Echeverri and Cherki.