Judging by the awards Real Madrid and England midfielder Jude Bellingham has already racked up, it's safe to say he has blossomed into one of the best players on the planet, a talismanic figure for both club and country at just 21 years old.
The midfield sensation was voted La Liga's Player of the Season in his first year in Spain after joining Real Madrid in the summer of 2023, helping them win the 2023/24 La Liga title and the UEFA Champions League. He also won the Kopa Trophy in November 2023, which is awarded for being the world's best player under the age of 21.
Bellingham's rise to the top of the football world has also seen him become a celebrity and brand off the pitch. The midfielder's signature celebration has also been a hit with supporters and fellow players who have all copied it.
The Sporting News takes a look at who Bellingham is now playing for, his international record for England, and whether he will ever play in the Premier League.
What team does Jude Bellingham play for?
Bellingham plays for Real Madrid in La Liga, the top league in Spanish football.
The Englishman made the decision to move to Spain in June 2023 following months of rumours linking him with Madrid and Liverpool.
The Spanish giants side shelled out a reported initial fee of €103 million ($111 million/£88.5 million) to acquire the midfielder's services, and it's already looking to be well worth it after the stunning debut season he had.
Has Bellingham ever played in Premier League?
Bellingham has never played in the Premier League and there is no guarantee he will do so in his career.
Birmingham City identified Bellingham as a special talent from an early age and handed him his debut at 16 years, 38 days old against Portsmouth in the EFL Cup, shattering Trevor Francis' record by 101 days. He went on to make nearly 50 appearances for his boyhood club and was a livewire in many games, but this was in the EFL Championship, the league below the Premier League.
Most teams in the Premier League had been tracking Bellingham through Birmingham's youth teams for years as he made waves facing players much older than he was.
One of the clubs circling was Manchester United. The Red Devils showed Bellingham around their training complex and even had former manager Alex Ferguson come to greet him after making a bid of £25 million. However, the youngster made a huge choice to move to Germany instead.
Once the transfer to Borussia Dortmund was completed in July 2020, Birmingham made the surprise decision to retire his No. 22 shirt. After thriving in the Bundesliga, he again opted not to play in the Premier League, electing to sign for Real Madrid instead of Liverpool.
Already a superstar at Madrid, he admitted in an interview with Channel 4 that he wants to stay with the Spanish giants for the next "10 to15 years".
Jude Bellingham La Liga stats
It only took Bellingham a year to earn a cult-hero status at the Santiago Bernabeu and he is now a household name. He shattered a long-standing Cristiano Ronaldo record by notching more goals than anyone inside their first 15 games for Los Blancos, while he either matched or broke several other Ronaldo benchmarks.
The Madrid fans already love him for firing their side to the La Liga title and Champions League glory, scoring a remarkable 23 goals from midfield in all competitions. And if things continue to go well, it's hard to see him leaving Spain anytime soon.
Jude Bellingham La Liga stats
| Season | Games | Goals | Assists |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023/24 | 28 | 19 | 6 |
| Total | 28 | 19 | 6 |
Jude Bellingham England caps, record
Bellingham made his Three Lions debut in 2020, and since then, he has become a mainstay of Gareth Southgate's midfield.
Playing in a slightly advanced role that completely allows him to use his physicality, running ability and dribbling to produce chances for himself and others, the midfielder is a key cog of the manager's game plan.
He had an impressive 2022 World Cup, starting every game as England made it to the quarterfinals only to be dumped out by France.
At Euro 2024, Bellingham has been super-clutch. He scored in the 1-0 win over Serbia in the group stage before producing a remarkable overhead kick in the 2-1 victory over Slovakia to save England from crashing out in the Round of 16.
England fans are now pinning their hopes on the former Birmingham City youngster to bring back glory. In total, he has 34 caps and counting, and given he's just 21, you wouldn't bet against him making well over 100 international appearances by the time he hangs up his boots.
Jude Bellingham England stats
| Competition | Appearances | Goals | Assists |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total | 34 | 5 | 5 |
| European Championship 2024 | 8 | 2 | - |
| International Friendlies | 8 | 2 | 1 |
| World Cup 2022 | 5 | 1 | 1 |
| UEFA Nations League A | 5 | - | 1 |
| World Cup qualification Europe | 4 | - | - |
| European Qualifiers | 4 | - | 2 |