Former Birmingham City winger Jermaine Pennant has urged Jude Bellingham to think carefully about potentially moving to Manchester United.

Bellingham's impressive performances at such a young age have grabbed the attention of Premier League clubs, with United believed to be eyeing up a sensational £30million move for the midfielder.

Pennant, who left Notts County at 15 to join Arsenal, feels Bellingham should stay put in the Midlands rather than make a switch to Old Trafford.

“It's difficult, it will be so hard for Jude to turn down a move to Manchester United," Pennant told talkSPORT.

“But is it going to halt his career, at 16? Ole is not going to be throwing him into the starting line-up, he will be in the squad but he won't be starting. How many games is he going to play?

“Now he is a regular at Birmingham. Birmingham is in the Championship, not League One, not League Two, the Championship, it's good football.

“The Championship is a very difficult league, more demanding than the Premier League - and he's 16 and he's holding his weight, he is putting in tackles, he's strong."

He added: “My advice would be to stay at Birmingham for a season, at least for the rest of this season, continue playing, learning more, the trade of demanding first-team football in the Championship and it will do wonders for his career moving forward.

“Rather than going to Man Utd and hitting a brick wall, going from 'I have been playing every week being a young starlet, to now just floating about training - when am I going to play?'"