Bellingham’s reputation has been rising for a while; he made his Birmingham debut at the age of sixteen, and in the summer of 2023, he found himself at Santiago Bernabeu after a €103 million (£88 million/$112 million) transfer price was paid.

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THE LARGER IMAGE

Bellingham has made 26 appearances for Real in all competitions, scoring 18 goals, providing an instant return on investment. With a big decision made upon arriving in Spain to take over Zidane’s former No. 5 shirt, he has taken on penalty responsibilities and doesn’t seem to be under any pressure.

FERDINAND’S COMMENTS ABOUT BELLINGHAM

One former England player who has been inspired by Bellingham’s daring attitude to the game is Ferdinand. Speaking of a chat he had with a former Real Madrid midfielder, the former Manchester United player remarked, “Jude Bellingham is taking the p*ss now, he’s that good.” “Bellingham” was the first thing [Claude] Makelele said to me when I spoke with him. “Do you realize how huge and intimidating it is to play for Madrid and at the Bernabeu?” he asked me. This guy even stole Zidane’s phone number!

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Bellingham won the prestigious Kopa Trophy and Golden Boy award in 2023 and is considered to be a Ballon d’Or winner of the future. He will hope to catch the eye again when La Liga title hopefuls Real return to action on Saturday with a trip to Las Palmas.