Jude Bellingham on Borussia Dortmund: "I knew from day one I’d made the right decision"
Borussia Dortmund's 17-year-old England international midfielder Jude Bellingham says he knew from day one at the Bundesliga club that he had made the right decision to swap Birmingham for the Ruhr Valley and Germany.
Bellingham has exceeded all expectations in his maiden campaign at the Signal Iduna Park. The 2020 summer signing from English second-tier side Birmingham City has made 45 appearances across all competitions in 2020/21, scoring in the Bundesliga, UEFA Champions League and DFB Cup - the latter of which he even lifted in May as the first major title of his career.
The versatile midfielder even made his international debut for England and is in contention for Gareth Southgate's 26-man squad at Euro 2020, which will be announced on 25 May. Bellingham won't turn 18 until midway through the tournament and despite being promised on arrival at BVB that he'd become an international player within two years, he can't believe how quickly that dream has become reality.
"They told me you know if you come here we'll develop you, you'll get game time and you'll be an international in two years," Bellingham told BBC's MOTDx. "Honestly, and this is the honest truth, I can't believe that I'm being put in contention so early in my career. Some of the players that I've gone there and trained with are different class so to be talked about in the same breath is a real honour."
For Bellingham, his success is proof that he made the right decision in joining Dortmund at such a young age. Despite a number of offers, the teenager made the move after positive discussions with the club, and knowing Die Schwarzgelben's reputation for developing young players. Fellow Englishman Jadon Sancho, has been an inspiration since before he joined.
"For me it's all about the feeling that I get from the people and the ambition," Bellingham said. "People bring up money and all that rubbish but I wouldn't play for a club that I didn't genuinely fall in love with. But I felt a strong connection with the people at Dortmund.
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"I think you look at those people [Sancho and Erling Haaland] and think, just the platform they've been given to perform really, and that's all I feel like I needed. I feel like they're a perfect example of that, and especially Jadon coming from England, he's been a massive help since I've got here so from the first day I knew I'd made the right decision to be honest. You know, I kind of just feel like Germany's my second home now."
But not all 17-year-olds move to a title-chasing, Champions League-playing club and establish themselves as a first-team regular within their first season. The 2020/21 season has proven to everyone watching that Bellingham is mature far beyond his years.
After their Champions League quarter-final against English Premier League champions Manchester City, opposition head coach Pep Guardiola said he couldn't believe Bellingham was only 17, and that was just from seeing him in action for 90 minutes. On and off the field, Bellingham is showing that he is a man beyond his years.
"I enjoy trying to break down the chess of a game almost, it seems like I'm 17 but in my head it feels like I've watched 20 years of football!" Bellingham said.
"I'm obsessed with the game and I have been since I was really young. You know, I've seen these guys playing for years now. I take bits, when I was like 10 or 11 years old I'd take bits, skills from these guys. So to kind of go up against them and show what I've learned is the perfect test."
Bellingham will make his 29th Bundesliga appearance for Dortmund against Bayer Leverkusen on the final day of his debut season, looking to guarantee third spot alongside his DFB Cup winners medal. With Bellingham in the side, BVB's chances are far more likely.
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