da bet sport： Jude Bellingham admits to once asking “who is this guy?” about Zinedine Zidane, before eventually going on to inherit his No.5 jersey at Real Madrid.
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England star moved to Spain in 2023Has enjoyed remarkable debut campaignShining with iconic shirt on his backWHAT HAPPENED?
The England international has enjoyed a stunning debut campaign at Santiago Bernabeu following his 2023 transfer from Borussia Dortmund. Bellingham has broken the 20-goal barrier while savouring La Liga title glory and helping the Blancos into the semi-finals of the Champions League.
AdvertisementGettyWHAT BELLINGHAM SAID
He has done all of that with the No.5 shirt on his back, but has told of being unaware of who Real legend Zidane was when growing up in Birmingham. Bellingham has said: “My father always wore a Real Madrid shirt around the house with 'Zidane' on the back, which is funny because, in a way, it has come full circle. He gave it to me when I arrived here in the summer. He always wore it and I always asked him: 'Who is this guy you have on your shirt?' And he always answered: 'When you're older, we'll see him on YouTube…' And now that I'm wearing No.5, it has ended up being a quite significant story. Really special to me.”
THE BIGGER PICTURE
Bellingham said of taking an iconic number when arriving in Madrid: “I wanted to thank [Jesus] Vallejo for giving me the No.5. I asked him if he cared and he's a great guy. I admire Zidane a lot and it’s a number that inspires me. I don't want to be like him, because I'm different. I'm delighted to wear this number. It's an honour.”
GettyDID YOU KNOW?
World Cup winner Zidane has said of Bellingham’s efforts this season: “He’s an unbelievable player who does incredible things. You could have imagined what he was going to do, but he’s surpassed all the statistics with what he’s doing. Don’t forget that he’s only 20 years old. He arrived at Real Madrid with a lot of desire, a lot of goals and he is setting the bar very high. He’s just showing everyone what he is and it’s great to see him like that. I’m a big fan of his and now we want him to win trophies with Real Madrid. It’s everything he wanted for himself.”