HUMBLE Only a few days after signing with Real Madrid, Jude Bellingham astounded schoolchildren in Birmingham.
This week marks the superstar midfielder’s 20th birthday. On June 14, he completed his incredible £115 million transfer to the Bernabeu.
However, in yet another elegant act of giving back to his cherished city, he returned to his homeland the following week.
Bellingham opened a pop-up store in Birmingham’s city center for ninety minutes called “store twenty-two,” named after his former Brum shirt, in collaboration with his boot providers and the world’s largest sportswear company, adidas.
Local children received free Real Madrid 2023–24 uniforms, adidas footwear, and other Bellingham memorabilia, but they also received a big surprise.
Bellingham personally showed up for a fantastic meet & greet, even going behind the counter to distribute the gifts.
The midfield player joined Borussia Dortmund in 2020 for a reported £25 million after rising through Birmingham City’s development ranks.
Upon his departure, the Blues famously retired his No. 22 jersey.
Furthermore, Bellingham maintains close ties to the city and club that first made him a Galactico.
“I may now play for Real Madrid, but Birmingham will always be my home,” the teenager declared.
“I will always be grateful to Birmingham’s residents and my family and friends for their support during my trip thus far.
“Since my first day here, their encouragement has inspired me and given me hope that anything is achievable.
“Today I wanted to come back and show them what that means to me, and to make sure they can be a part of the exciting next chapter of my career.”
Bellingham became the most expensive British player ever with his £115 million move to Los Blancos, which also resulted in a £10 million sell-on fee for Birmingham.
He will rank among the top earners of the European giants after agreeing to a six-year contract.
The former Dortmund star turned on the “easy” option of returning home to the Premier League, saying instead that his “heart was close to stopping” when his father informed him of Real’s interest.
Also, he will emulate Zinedine Zidane by donning the recognizable No. 5 jersey.