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Jude Bellingham signs for Real Madrid in an £88.5m deal

Who will sign Jude Bellingham?

  • Manchester City

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  • Liverpool

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  • Manchester United

    Votes: 1 33.3%
  • Tottenham

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  • Arsenal

    Votes: 1 33.3%
  • Newcastle

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  • Chelsea

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  • Paris St Germain

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  • Real Madrid

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  • Total voters
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  • Poll closed .

Why Jude Bellingham feels like a ‘gladiator’ in Real Madrid ‘coliseum’ - with England star loving life at ‘biggest club in the world’​

The 20-year-old midfielder knew what he was letting himself in for when agreeing a €103 million (£88m/$111m) transfer to Santiago Bernabeu in the summer of 2023. He has become another ‘Galactico’ in the Spanish capital, with 18 goals recorded through 26 appearances.

WHAT BELLINGHAM SAID
Bellingham is not the kind of character to let pressure get to him, with the demands of performing in front of an expectant fan base being embraced each and every time that he takes to the field. The Three Lions ace has told Real Madrid TV: “You know that it’s the biggest club in the world, but when you experience it up close it’s spectacular. It is as if you were playing in a coliseum. You feel like a gladiator. It is very special. You can never imagine how big this club is. It is impossible to go out there and not be recognised. The club is a level above.”

THE BIGGER PICTURE
Bellingham has been doing his best to integrate on and off the pitch in Spain, with the youngster avoiding falling into the trap that saw questions asked of Gareth Bale throughout the Welshman’s time in Madrid.

Bellingham added: “There are times when I go out to have a coffee near my house or go down town to eat. Then I go back home to rest for a while in the garden if it’s nice and sunny. If my friends are here, we go out to dinner and back home. It’s really nice. You meet people in the places you go to most. They don’t see you as Jude Bellingham the footballer, just Jude who comes to have a coffee and that’s great. The people I meet in the city look after me a lot. I feel at home. When I’m out I’m a reserved person and I don’t like interacting with too many people, since it’s difficult for me because of the language, but I’m always very polite.”

WHAT NEXT FOR BELLINGHAM?
Spanish lessons are something that Bellingham is still trying to master, but his performances on the field suggest that no language barrier will be holding him back. He has already helped Real to Supercopa glory this season and remains in the hunt for La Liga and Champions League title honours.

Source: Goal.com
 
La Liga is investigating an alleged offensive remark made by Real Madrid’s Jude Bellingham towards Getafe’s Mason Greenwood.
 
Jude Bellingham: La Liga investigating alleged insult made towards Mason Greenwood

La Liga is using a lip-reading expert to investigate a comment Real Madrid's Jude Bellingham is alleged to have made towards Getafe's Mason Greenwood during Thursday's game.

La Liga says Getafe "filed a formal complaint" and will "act based on hard evidence".

The incident came after England international Bellingham tackled Greenwood during Real's 2-0 win.

A clip of the incident then went viral on social media.

It is not clear to whom Bellingham made the alleged comment.

In a statement on Friday, La Liga said: "Yesterday, Getafe filed a formal complaint with the La Liga match director who, as per standard procedure in such cases, has requested an expert lip-reading report to investigate the matter and act based on hard evidence."



 
Jude Bellingham will miss Real Madrid's Champions League last-16 first-leg tie against RB Leipzig on Tuesday with a sprained ankle.

The England midfielder, 20, was forced off after scoring two goals in Saturday's 4-0 La Liga win over Girona.

The Spanish club have not put a timescale on his return and say his recovery will be "monitored".


BBC
 
Jude Bellingham is back! Carlo Ancelotti confirms: “He has recovered from his injury and he’s 100% ready to play”.

“Joselu has also recovered and he’s back too”.
 
Jude Bellingham was sent off for complaining after the final whistle denied him a winning goal for Real Madrid in a dramatic game at Valencia.

Vinicius Jr scored twice at the Mestalla, where he was the victim of racist abuse last season, as Real came from 2-0 behind to salvage a point and move seven points clear at the top of La Liga.

Bellingham thought he had won the game six minutes into stoppage time when he headed in from close range, but referee Gil Manzano had blown the whistle to end the game before the cross had been delivered.

Real players and staff surrounded Manzano, and Bellingham, back in the side after three weeks out with an injury, was shown a red card for his part in the protests.

Valencia midfielder Mouctar Diakhaby suffered what appeared to be a serious leg injury late on in a collision with Aurelien Tchouameni.

Diakhaby was taken off on a stretcher as players held their hands over their faces.

Hugo Duro put Valencia in front, scoring his 12th goal of the campaign by turning in Fran Perez's scuffed shot.

Three minutes later Roman Yaremchuk intercepted Dani Carvajal's pass to Andriy Lunin before rounding the keeper and sliding into an open goal.

Vinicius prodded in from close range after keeper Giorgi Mamardashvili failed to deal with Carvajal's cross.

The Brazilian, who was racially abused and later sent off on his last visit to the stadium in May, celebrated by raising his fist in the air towards the Valencia fans.

Valencia have not lost at home since September and appeared happy to protect their lead after half-time, but Real pushed for an equaliser, going close through Bellingham and Toni Kroos.

Eventually, Real's pressure told when Vinicius met Brahim Diaz's cross to score with a header at the far post.

Valencia were awarded a penalty when referee Manzano thought Nacho fouled Duro, but the decision was overturned after a video review.

The draw stretched Real's unbeaten league run to 21 games and extended their lead at the top, although second-placed Girona have a game in hand.

Valencia were playing for the first time since at least 10 people were killed after a fire in two apartment blocks in the city on 23 February.

BBC
 

Jude Bellingham ban: Real Madrid midfielder suspended for two games​


Real Madrid midfielder Jude Bellingham has been banned for two La Liga games for his red card after the 2-2 draw at Valencia.

Bellingham, 20, thought he had scored the winner six minutes into stoppage time at the Mestalla on Saturday.

But referee Gil Manzano had blown the full-time whistle as the cross was delivered.

England's Bellingham will be able to play in Real's Champions League last-16 tie against RB Leipzig on Wednesday.

The Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) said Bellingham showed "contempt or disregard" towards Manzano when Real players and staff surrounded him.

Bellingham, who was making his return after three weeks out with an ankle injury, was fined 600 euros (£513) and Real 700 euros (£598).

Real appealed against Bellingham's red card but the RFEF disciplinary committee dismissed their argument that the referee had made an "error".

Manager Carlo Ancelotti said after the incident: "We were annoyed by Bellingham's red card because he didn't say anything insulting. It was frustration."

Real's leading scorer this season with 16 league goals, Bellingham will miss the games against Celta Vigo on Sunday and Osasuna on 16 March.

He will be available to return at Athletic Bilbao on 31 March following the international break.

England play friendlies against Brazil on 23 March and Belgium on 26 March.

Real are seven points clear at the top of La Liga and hold a 1-0 advantage over Leipzig going into the second leg at the Bernabeu.

 
Jude Bellingham will serve a two-match suspension after an appeal to overturn his red card was rejected.

The England midfielder will now miss the La Liga matches against Celta Vigo on Sunday and Osasuna next weekend.

Talk Sport
 
England and Real Madrid midfielder Jude Bellingham has won the 2024 Laureus World Sports Breakthrough of the Year award.

The 20-year-old has become a key player for Real following his £89m move from Borussia Dortmund last summer.

He scored the winner against Barcelona in El Clasico on Sunday as he took his tally to 17 goals in La Liga this season.


BBC
 
Bellingham voted La Liga Player of the Year

Real Madrid and England midfielder Jude Bellingham has been voted La Liga's Player of the Season in his first year in Spain.

Bellingham, 20, scored 19 times in the league to help Real win the title by 10 points.

The Stourbridge-born player also scored four times in the Champions League as Carlo Ancelotti's side reached the final, where they will meet Borussia Dortmund at Wembley on Saturday (20:00 BST).

Bellingham edged out team-mate Vinicius Jr, Antoine Griezmann (Atletico Madrid), Artem Dovbyk (Girona) and Robert Lewandowski (Barcelona) in votes cast by fans, club captains and a panel of experts.

He also won the 2022-23 Bundesliga Player of the Season playing for Dortmund before moving to Real for an initial 103m euros (£88.5m).

"I would like to dedicate it to my team-mates, the coaching staff and, most importantly, to the fans of the best club in the world," Bellingham, who was unable to attend Tuesday's ceremony as he is getting ready for Saturday's final, said in a message.

"It's a pleasure every time I play for this team. Hala Madrid."

Bellingham has 29 England caps and three goals for his country.

He is expected to play a key role for Gareth Southgate's team at Euro 2024 in Germany, which starts on 14 June.

England's first game is against Serbia in Gelsenkirchen on 16 June.

BBC
 

Bellingham - the England hero who 'writes his own scripts'​


Jude Bellingham's remarkable rise continued as he netted England's winner in their Euro 2024 opener against Serbia - with boss Gareth Southgate declaring him a player who "writes his own scripts".

The 20-year-old from Stourbridge near Birmingham, who plays for Real Madrid, is the first European player to make an appearance at three major international tournaments before turning 21.

He has scored at two of the tournaments, too, having found the net against Iran at the 2022 World Cup.

His 13th-minute header in Gelsenkirchen on Sunday ended up being the only goal of the game.

"I am willing to do whatever it takes and am ready to do everything to help the country win this football tournament," said Bellingham afterwards.

BBC pundit Micah Richards, a former England international, said: "He's taken the game by the scruff of the neck and this is what you need.

"His composure is remarkable. He's the leader in this team at such a young age and he knows it. He's got a great attitude, he's got everything. I'm running out of superlatives for him. He manages the game really well.

"If he can keep that form throughout the tournament then he is the man we can rely on."

It was little wonder Bellingham was voted man of the match by visitors to the BBC Sport website.

After a season when he won the Spanish title and Champions League with his club side, Bellingham is the second favourite to win this year's Ballon d'Or award - the prize that goes to the player voted the world's best.

If England win Euro 2024, he could well carry off that award.

"He's come out today with the attitude knowing it's his game," said former England centre-back Rio Ferdinand on BBC One.

"He's said 'guys, this is my game and I am him'. That's the vibe he's given me with how he's gesturing. You have to enjoy your great players."

Bellingham left the pitch to a standing ovation from the travelling England fans late on.

"Jude Bellingham is made up of amazing people," Bellingham said. "It's not just me. It's because I have such a great support network - my family, my friends, my team-mates. Playing football is the easiest part.

"I have got used to getting into the box, getting wide and trying to do that. I got into that habit at Madrid and I wanted to carry my form into the Euros.

"It's a great start for me personally to get my confidence up, and to help the lads get the win is the most important thing."

Bellingham started playing football at around the age of four years old - but was "not really interested" initially, according to his first coach.

Phil Wooldridge told the BBC in 2022 that "it wasn't just overnight, it was a matter of a few months" for Bellingham to get into the game.

Bellingham went on to join a children's team set up by his dad Mark, a former non-league footballer, and Wooldridge - Stourbridge Juniors.

"The only part I had in his development of football was just basically getting him to try and enjoy it," said Wooldridge.

At the age of only seven, Bellingham joined the academy of Birmingham City.

Bellingham would spend a decade with his boyhood club Birmingham - with one season in the first team.

Their academy coaches wanted his game to have parts of a defensive midfielder (traditionally a number four), a box-to-box player (number eight) and a creative player (number 10). Those numbers add up to 22, which was to become his Birmingham shirt number.

Mike Dodds was one of Bellingham's coaches in the Blues academy and said: "He was my best coach educator, because if he wasn't happy with a session, if he wasn't happy with the kind of route that his development was going, he would be the first person to let me know his thoughts."

Dodds, who finished last season as Sunderland's caretaker manager, added: "He's just a magnificent human being."

Former Birmingham left-back Paul Robinson also coached Bellingham at St Andrew's and told BBC Sport how he watched Bellingham in his mid-teens "being able to get on the ball and dictate games with his quality of passing".

"I've never seen someone so young be so intelligent in terms of understanding the game," Robinson said.

Bellingham became the youngest senior Birmingham City player ever at the age of 16 years and 38 days.

He made 41 appearances in the Championship and scored four goals.

But Birmingham knew he was destined for much greater things and after one season in the first team, he was sold to Borussia Dortmund for £25m in the summer of 2020.

His impact was so great that Birmingham retired the number 22 shirt, the kind of gesture usually saved for the biggest legends of clubs. That move was hugely ridiculed at the time, but it soon began to make some sense.

Bellingham moved to Germany at the age of 17 after just one campaign of second-tier football in England.

But he instantly impressed at a club famous for developing young talent.

"He was very confident," former Dortmund goalkeeper Roman Burki said. "You could see from the first training he was not shy of going into duels and showing his qualities and his mentality.

"He gained experience really fast because he played almost every game. I think he improved in his decision-making and also in his personality a little bit."

Bellingham started off playing with a similar defensive midfield duty to the one he had at Birmingham but eventually started playing more of a box-to-box role.

His three years in Germany yielded 24 goals in 132 games - with 14 of those goals coming in his final season.

He even admitted before a Champions League match against Manchester City, in which he scored: "I think all of it has been a bit of a surprise. I didn't think I'd have the impact quite like I have."

Bellingham's influence on Dortmund can be demonstrated in two other ways too - he became their youngest ever captain in a game in October 2022, at the age of 19, and they lost the title without him.

Dortmund just needed to beat Mainz on the final day of the 2022-23 campaign to win their first title in 11 years, but Bellingham, who was named the Bundesliga's player of the season, missed out with a knee injury and they drew 2-2.

He was pictured in tears as he left the pitch for the final time as a Dortmund player - because he had another big move to come.

Bellingham joined arguably the biggest club in the world, Real Madrid, last summer, for a huge fee of £88.5m - and yet that has looked like a bargain.

Expectations were obviously high for a player with huge promise and a big price tag - but he exceeded all of them with a goal-laden trophy-winning campaign.

Playing in a more advanced role for Real - as a number 10 or centre-forward - he ended the season as their top scorer - and top assister.

Bellingham scored 23 times and created 11 goals for team-mates in 39 games for the club.

Some of them were huge goals too. Remarkably he scored a last-minute winner in El Clasico, against their arch-rivals Barcelona... twice.

He netted twice, including a stoppage-time winner, in Real's 2-1 win at Barcelona in October, and then struck in the final minute at the Bernabeu in April.

In January, Real boss Carlo Ancelotti said Bellingham was "obviously the best" player in the world "bearing in mind that he's had to adapt to our club, to a new culture and language".

He was named La Liga's player of the season and won the 2024 Laureus World Sports Breakthrough of the Year for any sport.

Real Madrid cruised to the La Liga title by 10 points and won the Champions League final - against Dortmund of all teams - at Wembley.

"When he left us, I said the same thing I said to [Manchester City striker] Erling Haaland – I was proud to be their manager," said Dortmund boss Edin Terzic - who recently left his post - after that game.

"It’s his first Champions League win and it’s a proud moment for him."

What odds there will be more to come?

After all that club success, it has become apparent that Bellingham, at the age of 20, is already one of England's key players. Perhaps the key player for his country.

"I have never seen anyone so mature for his age," Three Lions team-mate Phil Foden told the Daily Mail in April.

"I feel he’s got a gift from God with his physique."

Bellingham has already played at the delayed Euro 2020, where England lost the final to Wembley on penalties, the 2022 World Cup and now Euro 2024.

Two of his four goals in 30 caps have been at major tournaments.

He is the second player to score at the World Cup and Euros before turning 21, after Michael Owen - who incidentally is the last English player to win the Ballon d'Or.

Former Spain midfielder Cesc Fabregas, watching the win over Serbia for the BBC, said: "The determination, the belief that he gives the team...

"When you have players like this and you are crossing the ball, you know he's going to be there. He is your guy."

 
Birthday boy Bellingham can start England's Euro 2024 party

Jude Bellingham celebrated his 21st birthday at England's Euro 2024 base in Blankenhain on Saturday - having already come of age as a La Liga and Champions League winner in his first season at Real Madrid.

He received congratulatory messages from Tottenham's James Maddison plus France midfield man and Real Madrid team-mate Aurelien Tchouameni, among others.

But if there was a small cloud over the occasion, it would have been because the party has not yet seriously started for Bellingham and England here in Germany.

For the first time in a soaring rise to global prominence, Bellingham's performances have come in for unflattering scrutiny. And that is despite starting Euro 2024 with a bang by scoring the winner in England's opening game against Serbia.

Since then, Bellingham has not only performed poorly but has been in the spotlight for petulant body language in the scrambled draw against Slovenia that ensured England topped Group C and will face Slovakia in the last 16 in Gelsenkirchen on Sunday.

For all this, however, Bellingham is still likely to be the personality England's under-pressure manager Gareth Southgate looks to as he tries to fire up a faltering campaign.

Bellingham possesses world-class ability, as well as remarkable maturity and strength of character for one so young – so he will not be shaken from an iron self-belief that he can make an indelible mark on Euro 2024.

If this happens, then the sense that England can still somehow pull something glorious from what has been a dismal Euros so far will increase. There is a potentially favourable route to the final in Berlin on 14 July, but only if Southgate's team can find the form that put them among the pre-tournament favourites.

England's players have been enjoying some down time before the meeting with Slovakia, with golf and padel tennis on the agenda as Southgate recognised the importance of relaxation in the intense Euro 2024 bubble.

It is now time, however, for England and players of great influence such as Bellingham to kick their campaign into life.

Bellingham will know as well as anyone that he has fallen short and the statistics confirm his struggles.

The header which gave England victory in that opening game remains his only attempt on target in three games, from a mere three efforts in three matches. He has created only one chance at Euro 2024 so far, playing just five passes into the box.

It is a miserable return for such a driving force of nature who scored 19 league goals for Real Madrid in 28 games this season.

Bellingham's touch has deserted him in England's draws with Denmark and Slovenia, admitting after looking exhausted in the second half of the latter game: "I felt like I was absolutely dead."

He has had a gruelling first campaign in Madrid and so far it has looked like England are picking up the tab for those exertions.

Southgate, however, has no doubts about Bellingham's condition or his ability to deal with the increased expectations his growing stature has brought.

"I think when you are walking off the pitch and you have given everything, you are going to be feeling physically and emotionally in a certain way," said Southgate. "He missed a period with Real Madrid with an ankle injury, then missed some games towards the end as they were preparing for the Champions League final.

"I'm not concerned at all about where he is with his conditioning."

The young star's dip in form even sparked a debate about whether he currently merits a place in England's side as Southgate struggles to find a system that suits Bellingham and Manchester City's Phil Foden, who has been playing off the left flank.

Real Madrid's Carlo Ancelotti, that great facilitator of world-class talent, has enough riches at his disposal to allow Bellingham to play with the freedom he simply cannot have with England.

It has been noted how Federico Valverde is the key to unlocking Bellingham's brilliance at club level, with energy and selflessness to cover his team-mate's greater attacking ambitions.

Bellingham has been betraying signs of inner turmoil amid the general England mediocrity. This was especially clear in the Slovenia game which ended with three plastic beer cups being hurled in the direction of Southgate by supporters after the final whistle, amid a hostile reception for the manager and players.

Former England striker Wayne Rooney showed a measure of sympathy as he told BBC Sport: "For me, he's looked very frustrated. I've been there in exactly the same position he is in. You saw him throwing his arms up in the air."

And Southgate was quick to highlight how Bellingham's career is still, in some respects, in its infancy when he said on Saturday evening: "He's been smiling a lot. It was a big day for him with it being his 21st birthday. It is also a reminder of his age and how well he deals with all the expectations around him at a remarkably young age.

"I can understand his world is very different from most 21-year-olds I know. He deals with it exceptionally well and better than most 21-year-olds I know."

Southgate holds Bellingham in such regard and values his personality and input so highly, even at only 21, that he has been named in the squad's 'leadership group' at Euro 2024, along with captain Harry Kane, Declan Rice and Kyle Walker.

Now England need him leading from the front on the pitch.

BBC
 
Uefa is investigating a gesture made by England midfielder Jude Bellingham after he scored a late equaliser against Slovakia at Euro 2024 on Sunday

European football's governing body says Bellingham allegedly broke the rules regarding "the basic rules of decent conduct".

Bellingham was seen making a crotch-grabbing gesture after scoring an overhead kick in stoppage time.

The Real Madrid player denied it was aimed at England's opponents, saying on social media that it was an inside-joke directed towards some close friends.

England won 2-1 after extra time to set up a quarter-final meeting with Switzerland on Saturday.

Source: BBC
 

Bellingham injured in lead-up to England games​


Real Madrid midfielder Jude Bellingham has sustained a calf injury in training just over two weeks before England begin their Nations League campaign.

The 21-year-old was unable to finish a club session on Friday.

BBC Sport has contacted Real to establish how long Bellingham is likely to be out for.

Reports in Spain suggest he will be unavailable until late September, which would rule him out of Lee Carsley's opening two fixtures as England interim manager.

England face the Republic of Ireland on 7 September and Finland on 10 September in the Nations League.

In a statement, Real said Bellingham had medical tests on Friday on the problem with his right calf and that his "progress will be monitored".

Carsley, 50, was announced as interim manager earlier this month following Gareth Southgate's resignation after Euro 2024.

Bellingham scored 23 goals in 42 appearances during his debut season at the Bernabeu last term as Madrid won a La Liga and Champions League double.

The former Dortmund midfielder started in last weekend's 1-1 La Liga draw at Mallorca, as well as the Super Cup victory against Atalanta earlier this month.

Carsley is set to name his squad for the Nations League fixtures on 29 August.

 

Ancelotti told Bellingham he was going to sign his brother Jobe'​


In a new documentary on his YouTube channel, Real Madrid star Jude Bellingham has revealed that manager Carlo Ancelotti once jokingly threatened to replace him with his younger brother Jobe.

The comment came after the younger Bellingham sibling scored a brace for his new club Sunderland last August in a 2-1 win against Rotherham.

"I’ll never forget, as we’re coming out, Ancelotti goes to me, ‘we’ve bought the wrong one’," says Bellingham.

The 21-year-old claims that the Italian manager told him that he was planning to bring his younger sibling in to play in his position.

"Finally, he just gave me a little smile and my heart dropped. I’m like, 'no pressure for today'," Bellingham remembers.

The pressure clearly didn’t get to the elder sibling either way, because he bagged a brace of his own in a 3-1 win against Almeria.

The first episode of Bellingham’s new documentary series dropped on the player’s YouTube channel on Thursday.

It charts his high-profile £88.5m move from Borussia Dortmund to Madrid, as well as the stand-out season that followed, which Bellingham ended as the club’s top goalscorer as they won La Liga, the Spanish Super Cup and the Champions League.

Favourite memories of Madrid – Zidane’s volley and Madrid derby

On his way to Madrid to officially sign for the club, Bellingham’s younger brother Jobe gives him a quick quiz about the La Liga giants.

Asked for his favourite moment from Madrid in the Champions League, he says, "looking back before my time, I’d say Zidane’s volley," referring to the Frenchman’s goal against Bayer Leverkusen in the 2002 final of the competition.

In terms of more recent memories, the England international cites the 2014 Champions League final, "when (Sergio) Ramos equalised with the header late and then they won 4-1 in extra time".

World Cup was moment he thought ‘this is it’

Sat on a private jet following her eldest son’s official unveiling at Madrid, Bellingham’s mother Denise says: "He looked across at me and he was teary and I thought, 'he gets it'."

She says there have been a couple of moments where the youngster, who was playing for Birmingham City three years before his move to Madrid, has grasped how far he’s come.

"One was when he went to the World Cup and he said, 'I sat on the plane and I thought this is it'," she describes.

Bellingham was England’s star player during the 2022 Qatar World Cup and scored on his major tournament debut in a 6-2 win over Iran.

‘Surreal’ to train alongside players he’s ‘used on Fifa’

As he arrives for his first training session with the team during the documentary, the young man from Birmingham describes it as "surreal" to be to training alongside "players that I’ve used on Fifa".

He adds: "Playing with those guys just takes your whole game to another level. It makes you understand the game better, it makes you feel like you belong."

He 'used to make daisy chains' when dad took him training

Having achieved so much at such a young age, viewers may be surprised to learn that Bellingham wasn’t always so interested in football.

During the documentary, the Champions League winner says: "Football first grabbed me when I was about seven."

He describes how his dad Mark - who scored more than 700 goals in non-league football during his own playing career - used to take his young son along to coaching sessions.

"It just didn’t really appeal to me," says Bellingham. "During the games when kids were playing I was just trying to make little daisy chains for my mum."

He says he remembers his dad looking at him thinking 'god, what a waste of space this kid is'.

 
‘Nothing would beat it’ – Jude Bellingham still has one big dream to realise

Real Madrid superstar Jude Bellingham has revealed what 'the biggest dream' of his life would be in his latest YouTube video.

At just 21 years of age, Bellingham has already been entrusted with the keys to Real Madrid's midfield and inspired them to victory in last season's LaLiga and the Champions League.

He even boasts a DFB-Pokal trophy in his cabinet which he won during his three-season stint with Borussia Dortmund.

Bellingham has also shone on the international stage for England and played a key role in the Three Lions' run to the final at Euro 2024.

The midfielder will no doubt want to lead England on a deep run at the 2026 World Cup in a bid to end what will be a 60-year wait for a trophy.

For most of the players that form England's squad in two years' time, they are likely to say winning the World Cup would be their biggest dream come true.

As much as Bellingham will want to win the World Cup, it is surprisingly not his biggest dream in football.

Instead, it is all about his brother, Jobe.

"Because we're a similar age and we've played together for so long in the street and on the tufts of grass, to play with my brother for England that would be the biggest dream of my life," Bellingham said in the latest episode of 'Out of The Floodlights'.

"That would mean more than any of the trophies. Especially if we managed to do it on a consistent basis and play at a major tournament together and win things together. Honestly, nothing would even get close to that. Nothing."

Jobe, 18, plays for Sunderland in the Championship and missed only one game for the Black Cats last season.

His impressive performances in Sunderland's midfield also generated reported interest from Premier League clubs in the summer, with Tottenham, Brentford and Crystal Palace all linked with a swoop.

The older Bellingham brother managed to catch Jobe in action for Sunderland against Coventry City and Hull during LaLiga's winter break.

Although he has the famous surname, Jobe showed his willingness to be his own man when he opted to have his given name on the back of his Sunderland jersey.

However, that has not stopped Jude from stressing over people solely judging Jobe through a lens of what the Real Madrid superstar has already accomplished.

"I'm really conscious of that because I know it's something people will always throw in his face and it's not fair because he's an amazing talent, amazing player in his own right," Bellingham said.

"People will use him to have a dig at me and vice versa. We're almost like each other's biggest fans but also the biggest target for each other because we care about each other so much.

"He has to deal with more than I would have had to at his age and he deals with it with so much class. He wants to try and create his own legacy and his own path.

"At the end of the day, as long as he's happy, that's what I really care about to be honest. His happiness means more to me than my own."

Jobe has played every minute of Sunderland's Championship campaign this season, with the Black Cats registering four wins from five games.

As for Jude, he missed four league games for Real Madrid with a muscle injury but made his return in their 3-1 win over VfB Stuttgart in the Champions League.

 
'I felt a bit like England's scapegoat' - Bellingham

Real Madrid's Jude Bellingham says he has got his smile back after "feeling a bit like the scapegoat" for England's failure to win Euro 2024 in the summer.

Bellingham scored England's first goal of the tournament in a 1-0 victory against Serbia, before scoring a 95th-minute overhead-kick equaliser against Slovakia to save Gareth Southgate's side from elimination in the last 16.

England were eventually defeated 2-1 by Spain as they lost their second European Championship final in three years.

England were accused of playing too conservatively in Germany, with Bellingham in particular the target of what he described as a "pile on" from critics.

"I lost my smile a lot playing for England after the Euros as I felt I was a little mistreated compared to what I contributed," Bellingham said before Real Madrid's Champions League meeting with Liverpool.

"[The] smile is back [now].

"I think it was a bit harsh on me. I felt a bit like the scapegoat. Maybe I felt a bit sorry for myself.

"I felt I contributed some pretty big moments, but it felt like the whole world was crumbling down on me, especially in the three days after the final. It wasn't a nice feeling."


 
Jude Bellingham was ‘man-marked’ by Liverpool duo but chose Real Madrid after defeat Jurgen Klopp ‘can never explain’

Jude Bellingham says watching Real Madrid beat Liverpool in the Champions League final played a big part in his decision to join.

The England midfielder will finally play his first match at Anfield tonight, live on talkSPORT, but in the white kit of Los Blancos.

The 21-year-old will line up against the Reds as a defending European champion, which was such a factor in making the move to Spain.

After two and a half years with Borussia Dortmund, Bellingham had the world's top sides vying for his signature in December 2022.

Liverpool were thought to have been favourites when the Birmingham-born star had flown out with England for the World Cup.

Former Reds manager Jurgen Klopp had spent minimally the previous summer on midfield reinforcements to save his war chest.

He sanctioned a panic deadline day loan for Arthur Melo - who ultimately played just 13 minutes - to plug the gap he'd hoped would be filled the following season by Bellingham.

Jordan Henderson and Trent Alexander-Arnold even ‘man-marked’ him at mealtimes in Qatar, according to England's Conor Coady.

However, Liverpool were ultimately left disappointed when Bellingham moved to the Bernabeu six months later.

Speaking at his Madrid unveiling in June 2023, the Ballon d'Or bronze medalist revealed he 'couldn't turn them down'.

Bellingham said: “I have always been aware of the interest from England so that was pretty normal, but it was a bit of a surprise when my dad sat me down and said, ‘You’ve had a bit of interest from Real Madrid.’

“It was 12-15 months ago maybe. When he said that, goosebumps really. My heart was close to stopping. It’s something you don’t expect growing up, to play for a team like this. When it actually manifests itself, it’s such an extraordinary feeling.

“The exact moment (I made my decision) is hard to say. I had the meeting when they came to my house and I was sold, but I can’t really remember when that was. That was the moment for me when it was definite.

“I've always really admired the club, watching them win the [2022] Champions League.

“I was there at the final when they beat Liverpool. That was another huge factor but there were loads of things that went into making me decide to join this club because there are loads of reasons.

“Yes, of course (England teammates spoke to him about his future) at the World Cup and the international team camps.

“It’s hard, all of them wanted me to come back to England and play for their teams, which I really appreciate.

“But I like the idea of this being out my comfort zone, if you like. It would maybe have been an easier option to go back to England, my native country, and live there and play in the Premier League.

“But I couldn’t turn down Real Madrid really. The club is so big. It just felt like the right move for me.

“It’s not because the other clubs are bad, nothing like that, it's just because Real Madrid is where I wanted to be.”

That 2022 final in Paris saw Klopp miss out on a second Champions League trophy as Liverpool's manager following his 2019 win.

Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois made nine saves to Alisson Becker's zero in a man-of-the-match performance to seal a 1-0 win.

Klopp later revealed it took him nearly a year to rewatch the highlights and described it as ‘proper torture’.

Vinicius Junior - who has confirmed he messaged Bellingham 'for months' to persuade him to join Madrid - bagged the winner.

As the Ballon d'Or runner-up did twelve months later at Wembley having been teed up by Bellingham who clearly made the right call.

The latter scored 23 goals and registered 12 assists in all competitions en route to lifting a La Liga and Champions League title.

Ironically Bellingham could soon find himself public enemy number one by Liverpool following his arrival at Anfield.

The England international will reunite with Three Lions best mate Alexander-Arnold - who has been linked with his own move to Madrid.

The pair's bond strengthened at Euro 2024, capped by their 'wolf' goal celebration during the 1-0 victory over Serbia.

However, Bellingham refused to disclose whether he could picture himself lining up with Alexander-Arnold at Madrid next season.

“I’ll be playing alongside him next season for England anyway", he said in his pre-match press conference. "That will be a guarantee.

"But he’s a Liverpool player and it would be disrespectful to come to his home today with a big game tomorrow and talk about something that could be misconstrued, so it’s important to take that pressure off him. I want him to do really well normally. Just not tomorrow.”

 
Carlo Ancelotti reveals the secret behind Jude Bellingham’s renewed goalscoring form

Carlo Ancelotti says that Jude Bellingham's upturn in goalscoring is down to a more fluid set-up in Real Madrid's attack.

Bellingham arrived at the Santiago Bernabeu in the summer of 2023 and immediately built a reputation for being a goalscoring midfielder as he netted 23 goals and 13 assists in his first season.

As a result, when the 21-year-old endured something of a dry spell in the early months of this season, criticism started to build.

Until the end of October Bellingham was regularly being used on the left side of a midfield four, however that has since changed with Real Madrid playing a more more fluid system in attack.

Bellingham's last five LaLiga games has seen him score five matches and offer three assists - a set of figures which is much more like his form from last season.

Reflecting on the midfielder's form, Ancelotti said: "Not much has changed for him personally.

“What has changed is the dynamics of the team: now we have more movement up front, and he takes advantage of this.

“He’s been scoring, which is important, but his attitude has remained the same."

Bellingham admitted that he'd recently found his smile once again following a difficult summer which saw England lose the Euro 2024 final.

"I’ve got to be honest I lost my smile a lot after the Euros because I felt like I was a little bit mistreated in comparison to what I contributed," he said.

"I felt like some of it was a bit harsh on me. I felt like the scapegoat. Maybe I was feeling a little bit sorry for myself.

"The last England camp with a lot of new faces really brought out the joy in my game again and I think you can see that in the two games.

"In general, I haven’t lost my smile in a Madrid shirt.

"I am annoyed when we lose and I get frustrated but it is never a case of not being happy.

"I’m the luckiest lad in the world. I get to play week in, week out for the biggest club in the world and represent my country. The smile is back."

Bellingham's form has coincided with a positive run of form for Real Madrid in which they've won four of their last five LaLiga matches.

In doing so Los Blancos sit in second position in the table and two points behind league leaders Barcelona.

With a game in hand, Ancelotti will be keen to keep this run of form going as they look to retain the LaLiga crown.

 
Bellingham handed two-match suspension for verbally abusing referee

Real Madrid midfielder Jude Bellingham has been given a two-match ban for verbally abusing a referee during his team's 1-1 LaLiga draw at Osasuna on Saturday, the Spanish FA (RFEF) said on Wednesday.

Bellingham, 21, was sent off by referee Jose Munuera Montero who thought the England international had directed abusive language at him.

Although Bellingham and his coach Carlo Ancelotti said the official had been mistaken, the RFEF Disciplinary Committee did not agree and imposed the punishment for "attitudes of contempt or lack of consideration towards referees".

Real Madrid said they will appeal to try to have Bellingham available for LaLiga games against Girona and Betis.

Saturday's incident sparked an unlikely debate in Spanish media about translation and cultural interpretations of English profanity.

It also fuelled a feud between Real Madrid and the country's soccer authorities after Real lodged a letter of complaint against LaLiga's referees after what they said were a number of unfair decisions.


 

Real to appeal length of Bellingham's swearing ban​

Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti says the club will appeal again to reduce the length of Jude Bellingham's two-match suspension after his dismissal at Osasuna last week.

The England international was shown a straight red card for foul and abusive language in the 1-1 La Liga draw.

Referee Jose Munuera Montero stated in his match report that Bellingham had directed a swear word at him.

The two-match suspension given by the Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) was for "contemptuous or inconsiderate attitudes towards referees, officials or sports authorities".

On Friday, the (RFEF) rejected an initial appeal to overturn the ban, meaning Bellingham would miss Sunday's La Liga meeting with Girona and a trip to Real Betis next month.

But Real will try again as Ancelotti said: "We have to respect the decision. That said, the club will appeal in an attempt to cut down on the number of games he'll miss.

"Someone else will play tomorrow. We've been capable of picking up good results without Bellingham and we can do that tomorrow as well."

Source: BBC
 
Bellingham to miss start of season after shoulder surgery

Real Madrid and England midfielder Jude Bellingham is expected to miss at least the first six weeks of next season when he has shoulder surgery after the Club World Cup.

The 21-year-old has struggled with a persistent shoulder problem since 2023 and Real have scheduled the operation for when the tournament in the United States is over.

The former Birmingham City midfielder has worn strapping on his shoulder when playing for England and for his club, having initially missed two games for both Madrid and England at the end of 2023 after injuring his shoulder against Rayo Vallecano.

The expanded 32-team Club World Cup takes place in the United States between 15 June and 13 July.

Bellingham is expected to miss the whole of preseason and at least the first six weeks of the new campaign, which would also mean being absent for England's World Cup qualifiers against Andorra and Serbia in September.

On Friday, England boss Thomas Tuchel will name his England squad for June's qualifier against Andorra and friendly against Senegal, with questions remaining about whether or not players due to play in the Club World Cup will be selected.

Bellingham starred in his first season in Spain after signing for £115m from Borussia Dortmund.

He helped Madrid to the La Liga title and Champions League, scoring 23 goals in 43 appearances.

This season, though, he has scored just 14 in five, with Madrid losing the title to Barcelona and being knocked out of Europe in the quarter-finals by Arsenal.

BBC
 
Thomas Tuchel has claimed his own mother is 'repulsed' by Jude Bellingham's behaviour on the field following England's 3-1 defeat to Senegal on Tuesday night

Bellingham lost his cool towards the end of the contest at the City Ground as the Three Lions crashed to defeat.

The Real Madrid star was particularly aggrieved after England had a late equaliser disallowed after Levi Colwill was adjudged to have handled the ball.

Bellingham's quality impresses Tuchel but the former Bayern Munich and Chelsea boss, speaking to talkSPORT, has now condemned the youngster's antics.

"I struggle to see that," he said when told that some England fans feel the team would be better off without Bellingham in the starting XI.

"I think it has to be the other way around, how we can have the best version of him and the best acceptance and that people understand what he's bringing to us and that he's bringing a certain edge.

"But I see that it can create mixed emotions.

"I see this with my parents, with my mum that she sometimes cannot see the nice and well-educated and well-behaved guy that I see and the smile.

JUST IN: Roy Keane slams 'lazy' England star who 'can't be bothered' after dreadful Senegal defeat

"If he smiles, he wins everyone, but sometimes you see the rage, the hunger and the fire and it comes out in a way that can be a bit repulsive.

"For example, for my mother when she sits in front of the TV, I see that, but in general we are very happy to have him, he's a special boy.

"I think he has a certain something. I think he brings an edge, which we welcome and which is needed if we want to achieve big things.

"It needs to be channelled. The edge needs to be channelled toward the opponent, towards our goal and not to intimidate team-mates, or to be over aggressive to team-mates or referees.

"But [channel it] towards opponents, yes, and always towards the solution, meaning towards winning.

"We are on that, yes. He has the fire. I don't want to dim this down. He should play with this kind of fire, that's his strength.

"But the fire comes also with some attributes that can intimidate you, maybe even as a team-mate.

"You see sometimes the explosion towards referees and the anger in his game, so if he can channel this in the right way, and we can help him in this, then for sure he has the something that we need. And he has a certain edge that is hard to find."

He was handed a red card in April after Los Blancos lost to Barcelona in the final of the Copa del Rey.

Bellingham was accused of 'approaching the referee aggressively' as Real's hopes of silverware went up in smoke.

Before that, he found himself in the headlines for all the wrong reasons after venting his fury towards a linesman during a 1-1 draw between Real and fierce rivals Atletico Madrid.

Source: MSN
 
England and Real Madrid midfielder Jude Bellingham has undergone successful surgery for a long-standing shoulder issue

The 22-year-old is expected to miss the whole of Real's pre-season and at least the first six weeks of the campaign, which would include England's World Cup qualifiers against Andorra and Serbia in September.

Bellingham has struggled with the problem since 2023, when he dislocated his shoulder in a game against Rayo Vallecano.

Real said he will now undergo a period of rehabilitation before returning to training.

The Spanish club, under new manager Xabi Alonso, start their La Liga season at home to Osasuna on 19 August.

Bellingham has worn strapping on his shoulder, but told reporters in June he was "tired of playing with the sling".

Real scheduled his surgery for after the Club World Cup in the United States, where they were beaten in the semi-finals by Paris St-Germain last week.

Bellingham joined Real from Borussia Dortmund for £115m two years ago and won the La Liga title and Champions League in his first season, scoring 23 goals in 43 appearances.

He scored 15 goals in 58 games last season, with Real losing the league title to Barcelona and knocked out of the Champions League in the quarter-finals by Arsenal.

Source: BBC
 
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