Jude Bellingham’s talent was always apparent, his youth coach at Birmingham City has said, after the England midfielder helped propel his country through to the last eight of the World Cup on Sunday night. But what set him apart as a child was his sheer will, not just to make a professional career, but to be the very best.
“He was a seven-year-old when he walked through the doors at Birmingham City’s training ground. Talented boy, but talented like most seven-year-olds that come into most academies up and down the country,” said Mike Dodds, who coached Bellingham at the club.
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Dodds told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme on Monday: “I think the thing that probably set him apart was, when he got to probably 12 or 13, he just had a real desire to be the very best at whatever he turned his hand to – and I think that’s what’s really propelled him … beyond most 19-year-olds, not just in England, but obviously in world football.”
Bellingham has arguably been England’s standout performer at this winter’s tournament; impressing observers with his ability to resist being pigeonholed as either a primarily defensive midfielder who can play a bit, or an attack-minded player who might help out with defending a little. The 19-year-old, they have said, is a rarity in modern football: a central midfielder who excels in every phase of the game.
“I don’t think we could have predicted how quickly Bellingham could mature. In the last five months that has gone to another level,” said the England manager, Gareth Southgate.
According to the Reuters news agency, Bellingham’s teammate Phil Foden added: “I don’t want to big him up too much because he is still young, but he’s one of the most gifted players I have ever seen. He has no weakness in his game.”
The Liverpool captain and fellow England midfielder Jordan Henderson added: “I can’t keep saying nice things about him because we’re talking about a one-off.”
The former England defender Rio Ferdinand was one of several pundits to marvel at his performance. “Jude Bellingham is 19, I want to see his birth certificate,” he tweeted.
There was already excitement around Bellingham when he left Birmingham as a teenager to further his career in Germany with Borussia Dortmund – a club with a demonstrable record of giving playing time at the top level to young talent. “I think that [move] probably sums up his mindset because, when he made the decision to leave Birmingham at 16 or 17, his decision was a footballing decision,” said Dodds.
He stressed the maturity needed of a teenager to make such a decision as the world dealt with the kind of uncertainty at the height of the Covid-19 pandemic in the summer of 2020.
“But he made the decision to go to Germany, when he could have probably made easier decisions in terms of his lifestyle, his family. But he wanted to make a footballing decision – what was best for his career – that he thought was the next step for him.
“And the proof’s in the pudding. He’s obviously made the right decision because he seems to keep excelling in terms of his development.”
Dodds described Bellingham as an “authentic” character, adding that the two keep in touch regularly. “I think the nice thing is we don’t really talk about football. Now we talk about normal life stuff. And I think that’s one thing I’m really proud of … Seeing him doing what he’s doing in the World Cup, I think I’m probably more proud of the fact that we have a relationship that transcends the football pitch.”
