Featured Image Credit: Real Madrid
Topics: Jude Bellingham, Real Madrid, Football, Zinedine Zidane
Nasir Jabbar
Topics: Jude Bellingham, Real Madrid, Football, Zinedine Zidane
Jude Bellingham has been given the iconic No.5 shirt at Real Madrid following his blockbuster transfer from Borussia Dortmund.
The Spanish giants shelled out a whopping £88.5 million for Bellingham, who has penned a lucrative six-year deal at the Bernabeu.
The 19-year-old, who starred in the Bundesliga, was presented as a Real player this morning, with the club confirming he will don the No.5 shirt.
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And it's a legendary number as he's followed in the footsteps of his idol Zinedine Zidane, who wore the same number during his glittering spell with Los Blancos.
The England international underwent tests at the Sanitas La Moraleja University Hospital before being unveiled as the club's latest star, where he was visibly emotional as he watched a video package of his career thus far.
He will sport the No.5 jersey as he's set to ply his trade in the La Liga, having attracted interest from the likes of Manchester City and Liverpool.
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Spanish chief Andres Manzano, who had a collaboration with Birmingham, has even compared Bellingham to Zidane after watching him play in a youth match.
"I can remember perfectly that five minutes into the game I asked the Academy Director Kristjaan (Speakman) how old the number seven was," he said.
"I was astounded by his maturity and his composure in a game playing with and against players a lot older than him. I had to ask Kristjaan twice because I couldn’t believe this was a player born in 2003."
Manzano added: "The player I see most in him is Zidane. In part it’s the versatility. He’s capable of playing central midfield, or wide; in a 4-2-3-1 or in 4-3-3 – he is somewhere between a number 8 and a number 10. He’s an all-terrain midfielder with a lot of personality and he is so good on the ball but he also has that size, that enviable physique.
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"I don’t like comparisons but if you ask me that’s the one I would make. He reminds me of Zidane, a player who could score, assist, and do a lot of things with the ball and without the ball. England fans are lucky because they have a player who is going to dominate for years."