There are two claims about Jude Bellingham that highlight the extraordinary impact he has had at Real Madrid.
The first is that it has helped the club and its supporters forget about the shock departure of the then reigning Ballon d’Or winner and captain Karim Benzema, who suddenly quit last summer. The second is that he has already had a greater effect than David Beckham.
There are more, of course, with Bellingham having integrated astonishingly well into an exciting young squad at the most scrutinised club in the world and quickly emerged as one of its leaders. Then there is the traditional Spanish suspicion of British players and how they behave both on and off the pitch. Even though he is still just 20 and in his first campaign in Madrid, Bellingham has changed that.
And for Bellingham and his family it was always Madrid when it came to leaving Borussia Dortmund last year. [He faces Manchester City in the Champions League quarter-final](https://www.telegraph.co.uk/football/2024/04/08/real-madrid-vs-man-city-champions-league-santiago-bernabeu/) knowing that Pep Guardiola was desperate to sign him. So desperate, acknowledging he is a generational talent, that Guardiola was prepared to lose Ilkay Gundogan, whose contract was allowed to run down, and would have accepted selling Bernardo Silva to help fund a deal.
But then every leading club wanted Bellingham: Liverpool – who saw him as a new Steven Gerrard – Manchester United, Chelsea, Arsenal, Paris St-Germain, Barcelona. The list went on. But there was never anyone else but Madrid for him.
“I knew it was the perfect partnership – him and Madrid,” says Pep Clotet, the Spanish former manager of Birmingham City who gave Bellingham his debut in August 2019 and has tracked his career closely.
“Because Madrid could give to Jude what he needed. He was already a very complete player but he just needed to go to a place where the goal was to win every game. To become a winner. To become a proper champion. And I think Madrid has given him that.”
It is Clotet who makes the Benzema comparison with Madrid left in a tricky situation after their legendary striker – with 353 goals in 647 games and 14 trophies – suddenly accepted an offer to move to the Saudi Pro-League.
It necessitated a change of system at Madrid with coach Carlo Ancelotti using Bellingham in a more advanced role which he has repaid spectacularly. He is the joint top-scorer in La Liga, with 16 goals and was the first player in the league to reach double figures for goals and assists while basically remaining a midfielder. He has shouldered a huge amount of responsibility.
Call me crazy, but I was very excited about Beckham when he arrived at the club and I think he didn’t perform as expected.
Yes, he was in good shape and from time to time he had some great passes. But I never saw him as that great free kick shooter that he supposedly was, I never saw in him that player who should tip the balance to one side…
tbf Beckham always gave it 100% every match and his work ethic is amazing. He was unfortunate to join the club when there was no balance in team as Perez didn’t think the team needed a defensive midfielder which lead to him selling Makelele and that was a huge mistake. For years they weren’t able to find a suitable replacement for Makelele and Madrid not having a top defensive midfielder was one of the reasons they struggled in Europe
Of course. Ability wise and performance wise it’s not close.
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***Telegraph Sport reports:***
There are two claims about Jude Bellingham that highlight the extraordinary impact he has had at Real Madrid.
The first is that it has helped the club and its supporters forget about the shock departure of the then reigning Ballon d’Or winner and captain Karim Benzema, who suddenly quit last summer. The second is that he has already had a greater effect than David Beckham.
There are more, of course, with Bellingham having integrated astonishingly well into an exciting young squad at the most scrutinised club in the world and quickly emerged as one of its leaders. Then there is the traditional Spanish suspicion of British players and how they behave both on and off the pitch. Even though he is still just 20 and in his first campaign in Madrid, Bellingham has changed that.
And for Bellingham and his family it was always Madrid when it came to leaving Borussia Dortmund last year. [He faces Manchester City in the Champions League quarter-final](https://www.telegraph.co.uk/football/2024/04/08/real-madrid-vs-man-city-champions-league-santiago-bernabeu/) knowing that Pep Guardiola was desperate to sign him. So desperate, acknowledging he is a generational talent, that Guardiola was prepared to lose Ilkay Gundogan, whose contract was allowed to run down, and would have accepted selling Bernardo Silva to help fund a deal.
But then every leading club wanted Bellingham: Liverpool – who saw him as a new Steven Gerrard – Manchester United, Chelsea, Arsenal, Paris St-Germain, Barcelona. The list went on. But there was never anyone else but Madrid for him.
“I knew it was the perfect partnership – him and Madrid,” says Pep Clotet, the Spanish former manager of Birmingham City who gave Bellingham his debut in August 2019 and has tracked his career closely.
“Because Madrid could give to Jude what he needed. He was already a very complete player but he just needed to go to a place where the goal was to win every game. To become a winner. To become a proper champion. And I think Madrid has given him that.”
It is Clotet who makes the Benzema comparison with Madrid left in a tricky situation after their legendary striker – with 353 goals in 647 games and 14 trophies – suddenly accepted an offer to move to the Saudi Pro-League.
It necessitated a change of system at Madrid with coach Carlo Ancelotti using Bellingham in a more advanced role which he has repaid spectacularly. He is the joint top-scorer in La Liga, with 16 goals and was the first player in the league to reach double figures for goals and assists while basically remaining a midfielder. He has shouldered a huge amount of responsibility.
**Read more:** [**https://www.telegraph.co.uk/football/2024/04/09/jude-bellingham-real-madrid-champions-league-man-city/**](https://www.telegraph.co.uk/football/2024/04/09/jude-bellingham-real-madrid-champions-league-man-city/)
Call me crazy, but I was very excited about Beckham when he arrived at the club and I think he didn’t perform as expected.
Yes, he was in good shape and from time to time he had some great passes. But I never saw him as that great free kick shooter that he supposedly was, I never saw in him that player who should tip the balance to one side…
tbf Beckham always gave it 100% every match and his work ethic is amazing. He was unfortunate to join the club when there was no balance in team as Perez didn’t think the team needed a defensive midfielder which lead to him selling Makelele and that was a huge mistake. For years they weren’t able to find a suitable replacement for Makelele and Madrid not having a top defensive midfielder was one of the reasons they struggled in Europe
Of course. Ability wise and performance wise it’s not close.