Madrid: Jude Bellingham’s first year at Real Madrid got off to an incredible start amid a flurry of goals, but the end could have been better.
With the Spanish title in the bag, Madrid aim to take on England international Borussia Dortmund in Saturday’s Wembley final in fifth place in La Liga and the Champions League.
The 20-year-old midfielder was named La Liga player of the season on Wednesday. Bellingham scored 19 goals in the league and four in Europe on the way to the final.
After visiting Real Madrid last summer, the former midfielder opened up about his love for the great Zinedine Zidane and even took the French number five shirt out of respect.
However, Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti has other plans for Dortmund’s top midfielder leaving a void for Bellingham with the departure of striker Karim Benzema.
After scoring 13 goals in his first 13 games, he took off with the Madrid fans and quickly belted out the Beatles’ ‘Hey Jude’.
Bellingham scored twice, including a 91st-minute winner in the first Clasico to beat then-champions Barcelona on Catalan soil.
Did he expect such an effect? “I’m here to win,” Bellingham said.
“I came here because I wanted to win and I was a bit greedy to think that, but when you play with a lot of players you have to be confident.”
Another late winner in the second division Clasico with three goals in two games against the shock winner Girona, Bellingham came up big.
As Ancelotti took on more defensive responsibilities, his scoring slowed as Atletico lost at home to Madrid – their only defeat in La Liga. Madrid is undefeated in the Champions League.
There were some concerns about his fitness towards the end of the season following a wrist injury, but he said he felt almost 100 per cent after the break following Madrid’s title win.
– ‘He’s going places’ –
Bellingham joined Dortmund from Birmingham at the age of 17. He was England’s youngest player and in his honor they retired his number 22 shirt.
Bellingham, initially led by teammates Jadon Sancho and Erling Haaland, has established himself as a regular starter in his first season in Germany.
Dortmund coach Edin Terzic praised Bellingham’s maturity and said, “It’s hard to believe he’s 17 years old.”
Before his final season at Dortmund, Bellingham joined captain Marco Reus and Mats Hummels in the captaincy.
He captained them in October 2022 against Köln at the age of 19, becoming the youngest captain in Bundesliga history.
“You feel like you have three kids at home – he’s gone,” marveled Bayern Munich and Dortmund centre-back Niklas Suele, the Champions League winner.
Bellingham established himself as a world-class talent by leading England to the quarter-finals of the 2022 World Cup.
Bellingham and Dortmund took the 2022-23 title race, but the midfielder lost out to Bayern Munich for the player of the season award on the final day.
Two days later, Bellingham joined Madrid for 103 million euros ($112 million).
