Birmingham City academy product Jude Bellingham lifted the Champions League with Real Madrid at Wembley on Saturday night
Birmingham City academy product Jude Bellingham has always made it clear just how proud he is of his roots despite skyrocketing onto football’s biggest stage. A star of Wast Hills, who originally hails from Stourbridge, Bellingham has produced a rapid rise from sprightly Championship teenager to one of the most talented players on the planet – all before his 21st birthday.
Just this past week, when asked which would be his favourite stadium to play in as a visitor, Bellingham immediately replied: “Birmingham City. I don’t think I’ll have the chance to play there as an opposition player, but I would love to. In a few years, when Birmingham are back in the Champions League, we can do that!”
He has been back to watch brother Jobe – who has since left St Andrew’s himself – in action while a Borussia Dortmund player, after his own highly emotional farewell behind closed doors in 2020. Bellingham, who has his own mural dedicated to him outside the ground, remains a Bluenose even though his career has significantly outstripped Blues’ own trajectory in the last five years and his journey has taken him to Real Madrid.
Having lifted the Champions League, against Dortmund, at Wembley on Saturday night – all before a short break and he returns to Germany to try to help England win EURO 2024 later this summer – Bellingham was asked by TNT Sports for his reaction to such a triumph. Bellingham had assisted Vinicius Jr after teammate Dani Carvajal’s late opener in the 2-0 success.
“I’ve always dreamed of playing in these games. As you go through life, there are so many people that say you can’t do things. Days like today remind you that when it gets a little bit hard, and you wonder if it’s all worth it, nights like tonight make you realise. I was alright until I saw my mom and dad’s faces there.
“The amount of times they could have been at home by seven, and they were doing trips at 11, 12 at night to take me to football. My little brother, who I’m trying to be a role model for. I can’t put it into words.”
And Bellingham delighted Blues fans by kicking off his interview with the opening line of Keep Right On – ‘you go through life” – a subtle nod to his amazing journey to what he described as being ‘the best night of his life’.
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