Jude Bellingham’s first year at Real Madrid started unbelievably, amidst a flurry of goals, but the end could have been even more incredible.
With the Spanish title in hand, Real Madrid are looking for their fifth double in La Liga and the Champions League, against Borussia Dortmund, the English international’s former team, in Saturday’s final at Wembley.
“It’s such an important game, my first Champions League final, at home in England against my old team – it’s a crazy match, I couldn’t have dreamed better,” Bellingham told reporters this week.
The 20-year-old midfielder was named La Liga’s best player of the season on Wednesday. Bellingham scored 19 goals in the league and four in Europe en route to the final.
Arriving at Real Madrid last summer, he revealed his love for former midfielder Zinedine Zidane and even took the Frenchman’s number five shirt in tribute.
However, Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti had other plans for Bellingham, a classy central midfielder at Dortmund, placing him squarely in the space left by the departure of striker Karim Benzema.
It paid instant dividends, with 13 goals in his first 13 games getting him off to a good start with the Real Madrid fans quickly serenading him with the Beatles song ‘Hey Jude’.
Bellingham scored two goals, including a 91st-minute winner, in his first Clasico, clinching victory over reigning champions Barcelona on Catalan soil.
Did he foresee this kind of impact? “I came here hoping to win,” admitted Bellingham.
“I came here because I wanted to win and expecting that is almost a bit greedy, but you have to have confidence when you play with so many great players.”
With another late victory in the second league derby and three goals in two matches against surprise title challengers Girona, Bellingham was active in important moments.
His goal tally declined as Ancelotti tasked him with more defensive responsibility, punished by a defeat to Atletico Madrid – his only defeat in La Liga. In the Champions League, Madrid is undefeated.
“What you’ve seen from me this year is a lot of different types of roles and positions,” Bellingham said.
There were some concerns about his fitness at the end of the season following an ankle injury, but he says he feels “very close” to 100 percent after being rested after Real Madrid won the title.
– ‘He’s going places’ –
Bellingham joined Dortmund from Birmingham City at the age of 17. He was the English team’s youngest ever player and they retired their number 22 shirt in honor of him.
Initially overshadowed by teammates Jadon Sancho and Erling Haaland, Bellingham still managed to establish himself as a regular starter in his first season in Germany.
Dortmund coach Edin Terzic praised Bellingham’s maturity, saying he “could hardly believe he is only 17”.
Before his final season at Dortmund, Bellingham was included in the captaincy group alongside captain Marco Reus and Mats Hummels.
He led the team against Cologne in October 2022, aged just 19, becoming the youngest captain in Bundesliga history.
“You get the feeling he has three children at home – he is going places,” marveled Dortmund defender Niklas Suele, a Champions League winner with Bayern Munich.
Bellingham established himself as a world-class talent at the 2022 World Cup, leading England to the quarter-finals.
Bellingham and Dortmund took their 2022-23 title race to the wire but lost to Bayern on the final day, with the midfielder named the Bundesliga’s best player of the season.
Fifteen days later, Bellingham joined Real Madrid for 103 million euros ($112 million).
“He plays very adult football despite being so young,” Dortmund’s Karim Adeyemi said this week.
“I’m very happy for Jude, he had a great season,” added Emre Can. “But on the field we only think about winning for our club.”
However, 14-time world champions Madrid are the favorites and if they win, what will happen to Bellingham?
“I hope it’s the European Championship,” he said. “I just talked about being greedy… I’m focused on the final.”
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