English midfielder, Jude Bellingham will wear the number five shirt for Real Madrid. He is following in the footsteps of the famous player Zinedine Zidane. Bellingham's move to Real Madrid was confirmed on Wednesday. He spoke at his official introduction on Thursday and it was revealed that he will wear the number five jersey for the team.
Before Bellingham, Jesus Vallejo wore the number five shirt from the start of the 2021-22 season. But now, Bellingham has taken over the number after joining Real Madrid from Borussia Dortmund.
"Thank you to Vallejo for giving me his number five. I spoke to him about it and he was a very nice guy," said Bellingham when asked about his new number before paying tribute to Zidane, who starred for Los Blancos as a player between 2001 and 2006 before managing them on two separate occasions.
"I admire Zidane very much, his legacy in this club and with this number. I'm different. It's a number that inspires me. The 22 has been my number for a long time, but now I will take the 5. We'll see in the future," he added.
"The shirt itself is a responsibility and the fact of wearing the '5' may weigh more but for me it is a challenge to keep up with the number because Zidane was the best."
It is reported that Real Madrid has paid approximately £88.5m upfront for the midfielder, but the total cost of the deal could reach £115m due to additional payments.
Bellingham who began his career at Birmingham City, was heavily linked with a potential return to English football. Clubs like Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United, and Chelsea were reportedly interested in him. The young player acknowledged that some of his fellow teammates from the England national team had talked to him about a possible move to the Premier League.
"In the English national team everyone was asking me to come back but I wanted to get out of my comfort zone. It's an opportunity I had to come here that I wanted to take and it's not that the other teams are bad but that I wanted to come here," he added.
"I know there is a lot of pressure around me and I know the level I have to reach to be here. It's all part of a big learning curve."
Bellingham also mentioned the exciting prospect of playing alongside esteemed midfielders Luka Modric and Toni Kroos in Spain's capital.
Modric and Kroos' contracts are set to expire at the end of this month. However, there are anticipations of forthcoming announcements regarding contract extensions until June 2024.
"Sharing a dressing room with Modric and Kroos will be a priceless experience. It will be extraordinary and I hope to learn a lot from them. I'll stick close to them and I hope it doesn't bother them because I'm looking forward to learning," added the teenager.
Since joining Borussia Dortmund from Birmingham City in 2020, Bellingham has been a remarkable player. In his 132 appearances for the team, he scored an impressive 24 goals and also contributed with 25 assists. His performance on the field has been nothing short of outstanding.
