THE long wait to return to their shiny new Bernabeu is finally over for Real Madrid fans this weekend. Their reward: the chance to watch Jude Bellingham tear it up yet again.
I have watched all three of his games for Madrid in LaLiga so far.
EPAJude Bellingham shows in training as well as matches he’s a Real leader[/caption]
PA:Press AssociationBellingham has taken over the No5 shirt made famous for Madrid by their all-time great midfielder Zinedine Zidane[/caption]
From Birmingham to the Bernabeu, Bellingham is a natural winnerAP
To see what he is doing, not only just going into a really good team and already scoring four goals, but also dragging them forward in matches as well. He is a special 20-year-old.
He doesn’t just look like he fits in, he looks like he is a captain in the making. He is the leader of this group, not through the armband and everyone suddenly listening to you, but just through the commitment and workrate he produces.
He needs to earn that armband, but he is going the right way about it in a team full of world class players.
Not only has he bought into the club’s culture, but you still see that kid in him. You can see in his eyes he is pinching himself thinking: “Oh my god, I am at Real Madrid”.
For his generation, the likes of Madrid and Barcelona have always been the dream clubs to pull on the jersey for.
But in another wonderful way, I can imagine he is also thinking: “I am good enough to be here”, rather than: “Oh, my God, that’s Vinicius Jr, I shouldn’t be here”. No chance.
Every club wants it, but only Real Madrid have the Madrid way. Jude has bought into that from the get-go. Training hard, having quality, being respectful, a desire to win titles.
But also, they sign Galacticos. They don’t sign lads from Sunderland, they go for proper players who are tried and tested and pay for it. And yet, I can’t see Jude being knocked off his starting spot by anyone in world football.
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Remember when Birmingham City retired his No 22 and everyone was calling them a joke of a team, and nobody from Birmingham thought it was weird. We were like: “No, no, wait until you lot see what this is all about”.
Everyone has seen it now. You walk around the town centre right now and everywhere you look there are kids in Real kits. It is surreal. He is a local hero.
Now, there is a strong possibility that if Jude stays at Madrid for a decade, then Madrid could potentially retire a number as well.
And not just any number, but Zinedine Zidane’s old No 5. To even go in and take Zidane’s famous number is one thing in itself, but to make it your own after less than a handful of games is mind-blowing.
Whatever you want to call it, arrogance or swagger, but wherever he goes, whoever he plays for, Jude believes: “I’m the Governor”.
His teammates see that as well, the way they are interacting with him on social media, bigging him up. They are not doing it because adidas or Madrid told them to. When you see some of the behind-the-scenes stuff, they love him.
There are also some amazing clips of Jude fronting up to opposition players in LaLiga, no airs or graces, telling them where to go.
It is almost like he has made sure to bring out his Birmingham side in that environment, but that is just a result of wanting to win no matter what. All he wants to do is win.
Bellingham shows his focus in training ahead of Saturday’s clash vs GetafeEPA
David Beckham, Steven Gerrard and Frank Lampard were long-term England superstars, and Bellingham is certain to be one tooNews Group Newspapers Ltd
That is in him because it has been coached and drilled into him as a kid by his incredible family.
There are certain people we have in our lifetimes, moments when we spoke about England greats like Frank Lampard and Steven Gerrard, Wayne Rooney, Michael Owen and David Beckham. Genuine superstars.
Jude is one of those, and whenever you meet them, you’re just like: “Yeah, he’s got an aura”.
He is not arrogant in a bad way, but he is ridiculously confident. He is not shy. Meeting him at 16-years-old, there is no difference in him personality wise. He just happens to play for a different team.
You want to know just how good he is? Luka Modric and Toni Kroos, who are 37 and 33 respectively but still world class, have been sat on the bench more often than not to accommodate Jude so far this season.
But you know what the scariest thing is? Jude could stay at Madrid for five years and lift something insane like 15 trophies, and come back to England to go and play for Liverpool or Manchester City or whoever, and only be 25-years-old.
Not even in his prime and already be one of England’s most decorated players ever, and then be ready to take on the Prem.
You compare that to someone like Harry Kane, who has only just left for Bayern Munich aged 30, and will possibly only just win the first trophy of his career this summer.
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But then again, why would Jude leave? I can’t see him rushing back. It is not as if there is much bigger you can get at Madrid. They have the best of everything, and the lifestyle is not too bad either.
On top of that, I genuinely think he could be a Ballon d’Or winner, maybe even next year if he has an incredible season at Madrid and leads England to the Euros, because right now his place in Gareth Southgate’s team is untouchable.
I never ask Jude for tickets, but I will be going out to Spain to see him soon. I will take the kids out to a mid-week game this season, but I won’t spoil them too much with an El Clasico…