Jude Bellingham grew up in Stourbridge, a town in the West Midlands situated west of Birmingham.
As a young child, he went to Stourbridge Juniors, a club started by his father, former non-league football player Mark Bellingham.
Jude Bellingham has already discussed his early football-playing recollections and the enjoyable experiences he shared with his father during their Sunday morning lessons.
But according to Phil Wooldridge, Bellingham’s first coach, who remembers meeting Bellingham when he was four years old, Bellingham’s love of football wasn’t innate.
He told the BBC that “as soon as you put a football in front of him, [he] was not really interested.”
“It took him a few months to become interested in football; it wasn’t something that happened overnight.”
Bellingham, however, was unstoppable once it got going.
Jude Bellingham expressed his increasing love for football in his yearbook by writing “professional footballer for England” under the heading “When I grow up I want to be.”
In an interview with the BBC, Vanessa Payne, the former Bellingham headteacher, claimed he “stood out for us all those years ago.”
saying that “people were just drawn to him because he was a wonderful, friendly, and good-natured person.
Mrs. Payne remarked, “He’s left a legacy here of sportsmanship and ambition and trying to be the best you can be.”
The first teenager on the team
Bellingham started his football career with Birmingham City’s academy as an under-8 player, and at sixteen, he became the youngest player in the team’s first squad.
“He’s always had a strong sense of purpose for where he wants to go,” says the former Birmingham coach of the England player, Mike Dodds.
Currently coaching Sunderland, Dodds said that while he had always knew Bellingham was exceptionally skilled, there were times when he needed some time to realize his full potential: “At sixteen, I sat down and watched him play in the Championship and thought, ‘Wow, this boy is a little different to most.’”
After just one season, Bellingham left Birmingham City’s first team to play for Borussia Dortmund in Germany.
Dortmund paid £25 million to acquire Bellingham, which was the highest transfer fee ever for a 17-year-old.
Birmingham City withdrew Bellingham’s shirt number, 22, a move that stunned many at the time and kept it from ever being used again.
The purpose of the activity, according to Birmingham City, was to “remember one of our own and to inspire others.” This is usually done as a memorial for players who were iconic members of the team but either retired or passed away.
England
One of England’s most impressive performers during the World Cup in Qatar the year before was Bellingham, who was still a teenager.
When France eliminated the Three Lions from the competition, the midfielder helped them reach the quarterfinals.
In a 6-2 triumph over Iran, he also netted England’s first goal of the tournament.
With the goal, he surpassed Michael Owen to become England’s second-youngest World Cup goal scorer.
At the age of 19 years and 145 days, Bellingham became England’s third youngest World Cup starter, behind Luke Shaw in 2014 and Michael Owen in 1998.
Since the World Cup, Bellingham has solidified his place in England’s starting lineup.
Jude Bellingham: Being the England captain for Futbol on FanNation is my “biggest dream”
His country’s incredible performance earned them a spot in the 2024 European Championship, which will be held in Germany.
England defeated Italy in a qualification match at Wembley in October, mostly due to a dominant run that found Marcus Rashford.
“His mentality is incredible,” said England manager Gareth Southgate after the match. Given how much wisdom and humility he has displayed at such a young age, we are lucky to have him.
Madrid
Bellingham was back on the move after three years in Dortmund.
On June 14, he inked a contract worth 103 million euros, or £88.5 million, to play football for Real Madrid, one of the biggest clubs in the world.
Bellingham has played well, sporting the famous number five shirt that the late Real Madrid star Zinedine Zidane wore.
Since joining Real Madrid, he has scored in a number of pivotal matches, including the game-winning goal against fierce rivals Barcelona and an exhilarating debut against Athletic Bilbao.
When questioned about his football aspirations, Bellingham said, “I want to win everything,
“I want to play the game to the fullest.
“I want to be a footballing icon.”
