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Jude Bellingham has stormed Real Madrid into a sparkling debut campaign in LaLiga, surpassing high expectations to help his side claim a record-extending 36th Spanish league title.
MADRID: Jude Bellingham has stormed Real Madrid into a sparkling debut campaign in LaLiga, surpassing high expectations to help his side claim a record 36th Spanish league title.
“It’s Bellingham’s league” has become a common phrase among football fans and pundits in Spain and that is proof of his stunning start with the Spanish giants.
The 20-year-old England midfielder’s impact after being signed from Borussia Dortmund last June can be measured by a host of individual awards.
He was named LaLiga player of the month in August and October, and is the only man to win the award more than once this season.
Bellingham also picked up the Golden Boy and Kopa 2023 awards before becoming the first player to win the Breakthrough of the Year award at this year’s Laureus awards.
After being named player of the year in the Bundesliga last season, Bellingham arrived at Real who were coming off a disappointing campaign highlighted by a humiliating defeat at Manchester City in the semi-finals of the Champions League.
With the departure of Casemiro and the aging of Luka Modric and Toni Kroos in the final year of their contracts, Bellingham was seen as a key part of Real’s midfield overhaul.
However, following the shock departure of striker Karim Benzema to Saudi Arabia, and Real’s failure to sign Kylian Mbappe or Harry Kane, coach Carlo Ancelotti had to improvise and saw in Bellingham the potential to be much more than a goal -keeper.
The Italian coach changed his team from the traditional 4-3-3 that he and Zinedine Zidane used to win five Champions League titles in eight years, giving Bellingham the freedom to move forward and link up with Vinicius Jr and Rodrygo.
That unleashed a beast, with Bellingham scoring a staggering 15 goals in their first 16 games, beating last December’s total of 14 in 42 games and surpassing Real greats Cristiano Ronaldo and Alfredo Di Stefano who scored 13 goals in their first 15 games.
Bellingham’s goals also earned Real valuable points, including a brace at Barcelona and the winner at the Santiago Bernabeu to give his side come-from-behind victories in both El Clasicos.
He is LaLiga’s second top scorer this season with 18 goals, two behind Girona’s Artem Dovbyk and the only midfielder to score 10 or more times in Spain this campaign.
Until Saturday, however, the only major silverware Bellingham had won was the German Cup and it now has the chance to add the Champions League and Euro 2024 crowns to complete a glorious campaign.
“For this season the aim is to win everything, that must be the aim of the two biggest teams (Real and England),” Bellingham told Reuters in October.
“It’s important that we stop talking and finally perform for our fans.”
LaLiga in the bag, he has two more to go to be as good as his word.
(This story has not been edited by News18 staff and is published from a syndicated news agency feed – Reuters)
