Jude Bellingham looking forward to starting Real Madrid career
Jude Bellingham was a target for several of the top soccer clubs in Europe this summer
In the end, it was Real Madrid that reeled in the big catch, signing Bellingham on a six-year contract from Borussia Dortmund.
“I’m loving life at the minute,” Bellingham said. “Not only is it the biggest club in the world, but Madrid is a beautiful city, amazing people and they’ve made me feel so welcomed. I’m so happy so far.
“Training has been going really well, I’m feeling good … I’m just really happy.”
Bellingham, 20, joined Birmingham City at the 8-under youth level. He made their U-18 team when he was 14 and the U-23 team when he was 15. By the time he was 16, he was listed on FourFourTwo’s list of the 50 most exciting teenagers in English football.
Bellingham spent two seasons with the first team before moving to Dortmund at 17.
Shortly after his signing was official, Bellingham joined Real Madrid to kick off training. Earlier this week, Real Madrid landed in California and will commence the Soccer Champions Tour on Sunday against AC Milan at the Rose Bowl (7 p.m., ESPN).
“He’s very young and different to the other midfielders we have,” Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti said. “We are very happy that he is with us and he raises the level of Real Madrid. He works hard.”
For Bellingham, this will be his first trip to the U.S. since he was a kid.
“I’m really looking forward to it,” Bellingham said of the trip. “I can’t speak on behalf of the group. I think a lot of players have already done the U.S. tour, so I think for them it might be a little bit normal, but for me, it will be first time, I’ve never been to the States except for when I was a kid, so really looking forward to the experience.
“I know the training will be hard, the games will be hard, but I’m really looking forward to being able to experience America. It will be nice to see what’s it about now and exploring new cultures.”
After facing AC Milan, Real Madrid will take on Manchester United (Wednesday) in Houston, Barcelona (July 29) in Arlington, Texas, and Juventus (Aug. 2) in Orlando.
“The games are against really hard opponents, really high-level opponents, and naturally when the level is so high, it means that it’s going to be a big demand physically, technically, mentally,” Bellingham said. “That’s the exact kind of preparation you need for what will be a long season. It’s really important for us to attack these games as we would a normal one. And of course, there’s an element of finding our fitness and getting those little extra bits that we can out of the game.”
Real Madrid is always a popular draw around the U.S. In 2006, Madrid and Manchester City played in front of a crowd of 92,650 at the L.A. Coliseum.
The new Spanish La Liga season begins Aug. 12 for Real Madrid. Bellingham has been given the No. 5 kit, previously worn by Zinedine Zidane. Bellingham’s ambitions are simple this season.
“My personal goals are just to help the team as much as possible,” he said. “That’s why I’ve been brought in and that’s why I’m here to help the team continue to win and to continue to be great.”