Real Madrid superstar Jude Bellingham has named the three shock players he admired growing up.
Check Out: The 10 Highest-Paid Real Stars After New Vinicius Deal
The 20-year-old has taken the world by storm since his €103 million (R2 billion) move to Los Blancos from Borussia Dortmund at the start of the campaign.
Bellingham, winner of the 2023 Kopa Trophy (for the world's best young player) at the Ballon d'Or ceremony on Monday, has scored 13 goals in as many matches for Real so far, while he has also assisted three further strikes.
Due to his age, perhaps many would have assumed players such as Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo are at the top of his list in terms of footballers he was inspired by as a youngster, but the midfielder has other heroes.
In an interview with L'Equipe this week, Bellingham, a former Birmingham City prodigy, named three former Blues players as his childhood icons.
"I admired the players from Birmingham, the team that won the League Cup at Wembley (in 2011)," he said.
"My heroes were Seb Larsson, Craig Gardner, Lee Bowyer. As I got more into it myself, Dad was the most important."
Check Out: Saleng Linked – Analysing Monaco's Attackers
Bellingham had his No. 22 shirt retired by Birmingham when he left the club to sign for Dortmund in 2020.
You must be SIGNED IN to read and post comments
WATCH VIDEO:
