Jude Bellingham has landed in Madrid. Taking the number five shirt, most famously worn by club legend Zinedine Zidane, he declared it ‘the best day of his life’ and said he was signing for the ‘biggest club in the world’.
Real Madrid president Florentino Perez welcomed: ‘One of the best players in the world’ and said he had signed because he had wanted to come despite massive interest from the Premier League.
‘Welcome to the club of 14 Champions Leagues. We have won five of the last 10 Champions Leagues we never give in,’ said the Madrid supremo.
Sat listening and smiling broadly were father Mark, mother Denise and brother Jobe and when the moment came for him to speak he added some Spanish. ‘It’s the most important day of my life to join the biggest club in the world,’ he said in a short discourse that began with some Spanish: an ‘Hola a todos’ (hello everyone) and finished with an ‘Hala Madrid’.
One morning paper in Madrid had welcomed him with the headline ‘Galatico until 2029’. It’s been a while since that word was used. And it’s never been used for a teenager.
Jude Bellingham's dad Mark was seen beaming with pride at his unveiling as a Real Madrid player, while his mum Denise took photos as the midfielder addressed the room
Jude Bellingham declared his unveiling at Real Madrid to be the 'proudest day of his life'
The England star is set to wear the No 5 shirt having wrapped up his £113m summer move
The England star was presented as a Real Madrid player after completing a £113m transfer
When Real Madrid signed Vinicius, Rodrygo, Fede Valverde, Eder Militao, they all arrived as prospects. But Bellingham’s €134m (£113m) fee puts him into another bracket.
He won’t be a teenager much longer. He turns 20 on June 29. But he is young – he wasn’t yet born when Real Madrid announced the signing of David Beckham the last England international midfielder to sign for the club.
They are very excited about ‘Jude Victor William Bellingham’, as they have already taken to calling him (as they did affectionately John Benjamin Toshack, another former servant of the club).
The stats are the basis for that excitement. He led the way at Borussia Dortmund in goals, assists and tackles last season. There were also 88 successful dribbles – the most of any midfielder in Europe’s top leagues.
It was after passing his medical at the city’s La Moraleja University Hospital that he signed his six-year contract alongside president Perez who presented him with that number five shirt.
The Zidane comparisons started before the World Cup when Spanish Director of Football Andres Manzano who was at Spain’s third tier club UE Cornella in 2018 when they had a collaboration agreement with Birmingham likened him to the French legend.
Real Madrid president Florentino Perez described Bellingham as 'one of the best in the world'
He had seen Bellingham aged 15 in an U-23 team at Birmingham’s Wast Hills Training Ground and told the Daily Mail: ‘The player I see most in him is Zidane.
'He’s an all-terrain midfielder with a lot of personality and he is so good on the ball but he also has that enviable physique.
Zidane arrived when he was 29 and was booed in his first season before winning over supporters.
His age ought to bring him a greater level of patience. It’s also true, that despite the references in the morning papers, this is not the Galatico era anymore. This is a young team full of brilliant young players – and for everything he showed in the Bundesliga with Borussia Dortmund and for England, he fits right in.
