Real Madrid

Jude Bellingham handed iconic number five shirt by Real Madrid

By Matt Law, Football Editor | 15 June 2023

Real Madrid hand new signing Jude Bellingham the number five shirt, with the midfielder following in the footsteps of Zinedine Zidane.

English midfielder Jude Bellingham will wear the number five shirt for Real Madrid, following in the famous footsteps of club legend Zinedine Zidane.

Bellingham's move to Los Blancos was confirmed on Wednesday, and the 19-year-old spoke at his official unveiling on Thursday, where it was revealed that he would wear the number five jersey for Los Blancos.

Jesus Vallejo had sported the number since the start of the 2021-22 campaign, but Bellingham has taken over from the centre-back following his arrival 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.

Real Madrid midfielder Jude Bellingham on June 15, 2023 © Reuters

"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."

Real Madrid have allegedly paid an initial £88.5m for the midfielder, although the deal could eventually reach £115m with the various add-ons.

Bellingham, who started his professional career with Birmingham City, had been strongly linked with a return to English football, with Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United and Chelsea all said to be keen, and the youngster admitted that some of his England teammates had spoken to him about a Premier League move.

"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.

Borussia Dortmund's Jude Bellingham pictured on February 4, 2023 © Reuters

"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 spoke about the possibility of playing alongside legendary midfielders Luka Modric and Toni Kroos in the Spanish capital.

Modric and Kroos are both out of contract at the end of the month, but there are soon expected to be announcements over 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.

Bellingham scored 24 goals and registered 25 assists in his 132 appearances for Dortmund following his move to the German giants from Birmingham City in 2020.