Bellingham pays tribute to Zidane by choosing No 5 at Real Madrid | OneFootball

Real Madrid announced the signing of highly-rated English midfielder Jude Bellingham from Borussia Dortmund on Wednesday.

A long-running saga over the 19-year-old’s future following three marvellous seasons at Signal Iduna Park ended yesterday as Los Blancos shelled out €100 million to secure his services.

Upon penning a multi-year contract at the Santiago Bernabeu, the Birmingham City academy graduate took a famous number five shirt, previously worn by legendary French playmaker Zinedine Zidane.

In his first interview as a new Madrid player, Bellingham admitted his admiration for the iconic midfielder played a huge part in his decision-making process.

But while insisting one of the reasons behind choosing his new shirt number is to pay homage to Zidane, the super-talented playmaker wants to create a name for himself in the Spanish capital.

“I really admire Zidane and the legacy he has at this club with the number five,” Bellingham said, according to Eurosport.

“I’m not trying to be the same as him. I’m just trying to be Jude, but it’s just homage to how great he was.”

Bellingham wore No 22 during his impressive career at Dortmund and maintains he’ll always carry his previous number in his heart.

“It’s a number that inspires me,” he added. “I’ve worn 22 for a long time and in my heart, I’ll continue to wear 22. I’m delighted to wear the number five.”

Following his remarkable performance for Dortmund, Bellingham was crowned Bundesliga Player of the Season on the eve of his mega-money move to Madrid.

Despite his outstanding contributions, Dortmund narrowly missed out on clinching the title in a gut-wrenching manner on the final day of the 2022/23 campaign.

Tipped to be one of the leaders of a new era at the Bernabeu following Karim Benzema’s departure for Al-Ittihad, he’s now set to embark on a new career in Madrid.

With Luka Modric’s future with Los Blancos in doubt, it’ll likely be up to Bellingham to assume a playmaking role under Carlo Ancelotti.