JUDE BELLINGHAM BECOMING A SUPERSTAR
Bellingham has a way of making us all feel old. When he was born, David Beckham’s Manchester United career was already over. Gareth Southgate’s England playing career had two more games to come. Jose Mourinho had already won the UEFA Cup, while little James Milner had scored in the Premiership, as it then was.
A year ago, Bellingham’s only senior football had come in the Championship with Birmingham. Now, his impact has come on much grander stages.
This summer, before even blowing out the candles on his 18th birthday, he’d become England’s youngest player at a tournament. He was already the second- youngest scorer in the Champions League’s knockout stages, and was voted the Bundesliga’s newcomer of the year – as previous winners include Thomas Muller, Mario Gotze, Jadon Sancho and Alphonso Davies, it tends to be a pretty good marker. Bellingham is at European football’s finest destination for youngsters; Borussia Dortmund don’t just sign diamonds, but make them shine even brighter.
BELLINGHAM’S CHOICE OF THE NO. 22 SHIRT IS BECAUSE HE CAN PLAY AS A NO. 4, 8 OR 10
The midfielder has been praised by two of those who’ve converted his kind of promise into performances worth talking about; the kind which have elevated them into the bracket of world football’s most coveted players. “The sky’s the limit for Jude,” said Sancho. “Top guy, top talent, top player,” stated Erling Haaland.
Bellingham’s decision to snub Manchester United for Dortmund has paid off, although like with Sancho, it feels only a matter of time before a scramble to bring him back to England kicks off. Dortmund got him for an initial £ 25 million last summer, making him the most expensive 17- year- old of all time. His next move will be for three times that.
Bellingham’s capacity to make huge steps year on year should take him to another level – not least as he has an admirer in the England manager. “I couldn’t be more impressed with him as a human being,” said Southgate. The “humility” he identified should help the youngster develop, while the technical skills he possesses – his choice of the No. 22 shirt is because he can play as a No. 4, 8 or 10 – equips him to add another dimension to the England midfield. The admirable, but largely industrious combos of Declan Rice with either Kalvin Phillips or Jordan Henderson contain others whose characters Southgate likes – but Bellingham could provide more creative qualities which allow England to dominate the ball better.
For club and country alike, superstardom is beckoning. Qatar 2022 has his name on it.