Everyone mocked Birmingham City in 2020 but who is laughing now? View | OneFootball

Highlights

All connected to Birmingham City will have been proud when they saw Jude Bellingham awarded the prestigious Kopa Trophy last week.

The England international has been outrageously good since his summer switch to Real Madrid, and his performances have seen him named as the best young player on the planet.

Despite going on to bigger things, Bellingham retains a real love for Birmingham, the club he came through at, and the club he still follows.

That feeling is mutual, and all at Blues are delighted as they see the midfielder progress, and they will rightly be pleased to have helped him on that journey.

The Championship side have always done what they can to recognise Bellingham, which includes retiring his shirt number after his departure to Borussia Dortmund.

It might not seem a big deal now, but it did cause quite the stir at the time. In fact, Blues came in for a lot of ridicule. Retiring shirt numbers is rare and reserved for true club legends, and many felt it was laughable Birmingham took such action for someone who hadn’t even played 50 games.

However, the wider public were perhaps not aware of what Bellingham did to help Birmingham, and why their gesture was very much deserved.

Firstly, it’s not like the midfielder just popped up from nowhere to be one of the best players in the world for his age.

Bellingham was always on the radar of top clubs, yet he resisted any advances as a kid, insisting his future should be with Blues.

That meant the club were able to agree in principle a professional contract with the player, which was pivotal to them receiving such a significant fee.

Due to his age, Bellingham would have been entitled to join another club before his 17th birthday, and a fee would have been decided at a tribunal. Whilst we don’t know exactly what Blues would have got, it would have dragged on, and it’s unlikely to have been near the figure they wanted.

Yet, Bellingham sacrificed his own personal financial gain, by telling Blues he would sign that pro deal, enabling the club to get a fee.

This came at a critical period in the club’s history. We know the financial mismanagement of the previous regime, and had they not picked up the £25m, then who knows where Birmingham would be right now.

That selfless gesture by Bellingham helped save the club from ruin, so whilst he may not have won a cup or promotion with Blues, his impact was significant in one of their darkest hours.

The club also said the number 22 was being held for Bellingham when he returns one day, and that’s a romantic idea that should be applauded. Whether that ever happens, we don’t know, but it’s a nice touch.

We have to remember, we’re not just talking about a good player here, we’re talking about someone exceptional. Many are tipping Bellingham to win the Ballon d’Or one day, and this is a player who has the capability to lift the biggest trophies in the game on a regular basis.