"On a matchday..." - Ex-Birmingham City boss Gary Rowett shares Jude Bellingham insight | OneFootball

Highlights

Former Birmingham City boss Gary Rowett has revealed fresh insight into Jude Bellingham's development at St Andrew's.

Bellingham is taking LaLiga by storm since joining Real Madrid in the summer and has scored an incredible 10 goals in his first 11 league matches for the Spanish giants, including a 92nd-minute winner in October's El Clasico clash with arch-rivals Barcelona.

At just 20 years old, he is nothing short of sensational and could be the man who holds the key to Real Madrid's, and even England's potential success in the years to come.

It is incredible to think that as recently as July 2020, Bellingham was playing in the second tier of English football for Birmingham City.

Many Championship fans and in particular the Blues faithful knew that the midfield ace had bags of ability but perhaps very few would have envisaged the speed at which he would reach the very top of world football.

Gary Rowett's Jude Bellingham insight

Rowett, who was in charge at St Andrew's between 2014 and 2016, has shared fresh insight into Bellingham's development.

Speaking to Keep Right On - A Birmingham City podcast, he said: "It's incredible.

"I know Kristjaan Speakman (Birmingham City's former academy manager) quite well and when I was at Blues there was this big push for Jude and Jobe who were so good in the academy and they stood out so much.

"They used to bring them down to my office on a matchday sometimes and it was all about 'this kid's going to be special'.

"Jude in particular and at the time, I think every top club in Europe had watched him.

"This is when he was like 13 or 14.

"I couldn't say at that point that I knew because I didn't.

"I hadn't seen loads, I'd seen little bits of his footage and he looked a tremendous player but I think that the thing that's impressed me the most and impressed everyone the most is that every little challenge, he took it so easily, you know, and he's looked so comfortable.

"What kid goes to Real Madrid and becomes their best player almost, becomes their stand-out player within two or three months?

"You know most people take time to settle, most people have a wobble in their career, most people have a bit of uncertainty.

"He just seems so confident and there seems to be such a good support group around him.

"You know with his family they just seem to make good decisions.

"We've seen so many players make poor decisions because of agents' advice or external advice or external pressure, financial pressure whatever it is, but they seem to just be doing all the right things.

"If he can stay fit and he can stay healthy, then he's going to be and he already probably is, one of the best players in the world at this current moment, which is crazy to think.

"I remember when Blues retired his shirt and I thought that was a strange thing to do for a young lad who's done nothing in the game really, he's played very few games.

"I think even Jude said that but when you look at it now, whether you agreed with the decision or not, I think it shows how good people knew he was going to be.

"He's only at the start of his career so you don't want to go overboard or you don't want to give him too much praise but it's great to watch a boy coming through the ranks at Birmingham and becoming a global star so yeah, long may it continue."