Across the whole of Europe right now, there is one player on everyone’s lips. Jude Bellingham has taken our breath away with two commanding performances in his latest test with England to cement himself in the Three Lions’ team for the World Cup in Qatar this winter.
He plays football with such elegance and skill that it is like a wonderful piece of art. The Borussia Dortmund star is the complete midfielder - he can do it all. So much so, that is why he wears the number 22. Don't get it? Well, while he was in the Birmingham City academy his former youth coach Mike Dodds, who is now at Sunderland, told him he saw him as a number 22.
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His reasoning was that when it comes to the great midfield roles you think of a four, an eight or a 10. Dodds saw Bellingham as the embodiment of all three of those positions and, for those who are not mathematicians, combined together they add up to 22. The number has stuck with him ever since, having first adorned it with his boyhood club and now at Dortmund.
For Birmingham fans, their iconic anthem ‘Keep Right On’ includes the line ‘there’ll be joys and sorrows too’. The past decade has been filled with more sorrows than there have been joys. Constant relegation dogfights, points deductions, managerial changes, neglectful owners and an ongoing structural issue with two of the stands inside St Andrew’s Stadium. One of the few joys us Birmingham City fans have experienced in that time was witnessing Bellingham play in blue and white. Not only did he come through the academy and support the club, but he epitomised the working class element that surrounds Blues and the fan base.
During my final year at university, I was blessed with the opportunity to cover Birmingham’s under-18s side on behalf of the club. On my very first day I was told by the former Head of Media and Communications, Colin Tattum, that Bellingham was in the team but that we should keep his brilliance on the down-low. And then when I saw him play at 15 years old, I was speechless. I saw a teenager do extraordinary things, things that not even seasoned professionals could do. It was then that I realised we had one of the world's best up-and-coming players on our hands.
Part of my role covering the side involved interviewing the players to help them with media training and prepare for professional life. When the time came to call upon Jude, he was so excited when I asked him to come in front of the camera. That’s the other great thing about him that some people won’t know, he is so humble. Despite his God-given talents he still works hard to better himself and that attitude transpires to the pitch in every performance he gives.
The one thing that surprised me most was how kind, friendly and grounded he was. And from the personal experiences I had with him, I have never wanted a player to go on and have such an amazing career as much as I hope and expect him to have.
When he finally made his senior breakthrough in the Carabao Cup against Portsmouth in August 2019, he became the youngest player to play for Blues at just 16 years and 38 days, breaking a record set by club legend Trevor Francis. And you just knew that it was going to be the first of many.
When his deflected shot hit the back of the net in front of the Tilton to open the scoring in his home league debut against Stoke City, the whole place erupted, sparking some of the best celebrations I have ever witnessed down at St Andrew’s.
His ability was there for all to see throughout the 2019-20 campaign and to play as much as he did in the Championship at 16, that achievement in itself was remarkable. The sad part was that we wouldn't be able to hold on to him for long. When his move to Dortmund was confirmed, there was no malice, just all Blues fans unified in wishing him and his family all the very best.
When people think of Bellingham and Birmingham, they think of the retired shirt number. Well, here are the details as to why the club made the gesture. Seeing as he didn’t turn 17 until June 2020, he couldn’t sign a professional deal until then and Blues could have lost him for next to nothing. But being the person that he is, he and his family wanted to see the club fairly compensated for his talents and waited so that he could sign his first pro deal with them before moving on to his next adventure. His dedication to the club saw them pocket a £25m deal for his services. Not many footballers would do that, and in giving an extra year or two at Blues, he gave them a financial lifeline during the Covid-19 pandemic.
As a result of Covid, his move to Germany was announced before he finished the Championship season. After playing his final game at home to Derby County in an empty St Andrew’s, unable to say goodbye to the fans, he spent a period of reflection long after the final whistle sat in the centre circle. He was taking in his home for one last time. I’m sure that wasn’t the last time we will have seen Jude Bellingham in a Birmingham shirt, but for now we are watching him establish himself as one of the greatest midfielders of all time. We are so proud of who he is and what he is accomplishing. He has a real chance to win everything available to him, he is that special.
The 22 shirt is reserved rather than retired.
