After securing his dream transfer to the Spanish giants, Jude Bellingham has set his eyes on rubbing shoulders with Real Madrid’s greatest players.
Last month, Bellingham agreed to a 103 million euro (£88.5 million) transfer from Borussia Dortmund to the Bernabeu, solidifying his status as one of the most exciting young players in Europe.
The 20-year-old is aware of the iconic white shirt’s storied history and has previously cited Zinedine Zidane as an inspiration, but he also has his sights set on a lengthy and prosperous career of his own.
“That is the motivation for the move in the first place, I want to be at a club that is going to be competing for titles and I want to try and help the team and club be as brilliant as it has been for all of time really,” he said to the PA news agency.
“This is my opportunity to make history, and it goes hand in hand with that because I know the club and I both want to win, so hopefully that will happen.
“The size of the club already grabs you when you think about it, but when you add the project they have in place, it’s really important I made this step because it’s just the place to be for me,” the speaker said.
For most people, the idea of moving to Real Madrid at such a young age in a lucrative move would be intimidating, but Bellingham’s path has prepared him well.
He has acted differently after making his debut for Birmingham at the age of 16 and joining Dortmund a year later.
Thus, the cost will undoubtedly not be a burden for him.
In comparison to most young players, especially young English players, “I have had a very different experience,” he stated.
“It is really unusual because my journey has led me to three different nations without having played in the Premier League.
“Whenever I travel with the national team and observe the other players’ trips, I am constantly reminded of it.
“However, I’m really proud of the risks I’ve taken, so long as they continue. I simply try to handle everything calmly.
To this point, pressure has followed me everywhere. At Birmingham, I began playing with the first team when I was 15 and 16 years old. I thought that pressure was unmatched by anyone else, thus it has been worse at every stage of my life.
“Up until this point, I have consistently demonstrated my ability to handle it, and if I had been concerned, I definitely wouldn’t have moved.
“I think it is a great fit because I know I have the right people around me to support me through it,” the speaker said.
Although Bellingham is now among the most recognizable names in the game, he used to be a young youngster playing in the parks of Stourbridge not all that long ago.
He is now a representative for the McDonald’s Fun Football program, the largest grassroots initiative for children aged 5 to 11 in the UK, where 250,000 kids received free football instruction over the course of the previous year.
“This is hugely significant,” Bellingham continued. “You look around and see the environment that McDonald’s has created, all these girls and boys, of all ages, just getting together and playing football with no pressure and plenty of smiles. It’s a fantastic project, and it’s terrific to recognize the 250,000 youngsters who will have access to football this year. We had a wonderful day.
“I recall my parents frequently bringing me to events like these, when the main goal is pure enjoyment.
“These are the kinds of days that really get you into the game. I’m not looking around wondering who the next superstar is going to be, but you never know how it affects the mindset of one of these kids in terms of chasing the dream of being a footballer.”
