Jude Bellingham will wear No 5 at Real Madrid following his transfer from Borussia Dortmund.
The Athletic reported last week that Madrid had reached an agreement with Dortmund to sign the 19-year-old midfielder.
The England international completed his €103million (£88m/$81m) move on Wednesday and signed a six-year contract at the Bernabeu.
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Bellingham’s new squad number has been the subject of much debate. He has become synonymous with No 22, having worn it at Birmingham, Dortmund as well as with the England national team.
However, he will now wear No 5 at his new club with the switch confirmed at his official unveiling on Thursday.
🤩👕 And your new No.5 is… @BELLINGHAMJUDE!#HeyJude | @adidasfootball pic.twitter.com/Pof6EamHwY
— Real Madrid C.F. 🇬🇧🇺🇸 (@realmadriden) June 15, 2023
What is the significance of 22?
The story behind it is one of Bellingham’s founding myths and arose from a conversation the then 12-year-old had with Mike Dodds, his academy coach at Birmingham City.
“He said he wanted to be a No 10,” Dodds recalled, speaking to The Athletic in 2020. “I said: ‘I think you can be a 22’.
“He asked what I meant and I said: ‘You can be a No 4, a No 8 and No 10 — someone who can do it all’.”
Following Bellingham’s £25m move to Germany, Birmingham revealed they would be retiring the No 22 shirt in his honour.
“In such a remarkably short space of time,” read a press release, “Jude has become an iconic figure at Blues, showing what can be achieved through talent, hard work and dedication. His caring, humble and engaging off-the-field demeanour has also made him such an impressive role model.”
The tribute of retiring a shirt does not really happen within English football. Not even upon retirement. To do it for a 17-year-old player with fewer than 50 appearances was without precedent.
Why 5?
Bellingham has been forced to give up his preferred number 22 shirt at Madrid because of their existing shirt numbers. Centre-back Antonio Rudiger wears that number currently leaving the club with a decision to make.
Instead Real have given him the No 5, a shirt famously worn by Zinedine Zidane during his time at the club from 2001-2006. That required Jesus Vallejo, the previous wearer of that number, to move across to 24 to free it up for the England midfielder, who said he had spoken to the Spaniard about the No 5 at his unveiling press conference.
Zidane is one of Bellingham’s idols and Real will hope he can follow in the Frenchman’s footsteps.
Previous Madrid players have not always been able to wear their preferred number at first. Cristiano Ronaldo originally wore No 9 instead when he joined in 2009 because club legend Raul was still at the Bernabeu, before switching to 7 when the Spaniard left a year later.
Bellingham’s compatriot David Beckham also had to settle for a different shirt number because of Raul when he arrived at the Bernabeu in 2003. Having worn 7 for Manchester United, he chose 23 in Madrid because of its links to basketball icon Michael Jordan.
What did Bellingham say?
Bellingham thanked Vallejo for making way and allowing him to wear the number of one of his footballing heroes.
“For a start, I’d like to thank Jesus Vallejo for letting me wear the number 5,” he said. “I had some contact with him just to see if it was OK with him and he was a brilliant, brilliant guy in letting me wear it and just being so nice about it, so I’m very grateful to him.
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“I’ve said how much I admire Zinedine Zidane, the legacy he has in the club and with this number. I’m not trying to be the same as him, I’m just trying to be Jude, but it’s definitely a bit of a homage to how great he was.
“As far as the 22 is concerned, it’s the number I’ve worn, it’s the number that has a lot of meaning to me. And in my heart, I’m still a 22, but just wearing 5 on the back and we’ll see what happens for the future, but right now I’m really happy to be given this honour of wearing that number.”
What else was said?
Club president Florentino Perez welcomed Bellingham to the Spanish capital and “the most prestigious club in world football”.
“Today is one of those days to be proud of because one of the best players in the world has arrived. He is with us because he wanted to be. Everyone wanted him and he could have chosen anyone, but he decided that his story had to be linked to the most prestigious club in world football. That is why we welcome Jude Bellingham.
“Dear Jude, this is the moment you have dreamed of. I know very well how hard you have worked to be at the club of the 14 European Cups. Thank you for being a Madridista and having the ambition to continue building your own history at this club, which is the most admired and also the most demanding.
“I’m sure you have fallen in love, like so many millions of children around the world, watching how the last five Champions League titles have been won in the last 10 seasons. In them are all our values: hard work, self-improvement, companionship, solidarity, and the fact that we never give up here. The Santiago Bernabéu awaits you. There you will feel the emotion of football history.”
Bellingham himself called it the “most important day of his life”.
He said: “Hello everyone, hello Madridistas. I just want to thank everyone in this room and those online for being here on the most important day of my life, when I arrive at the biggest club in history.
“I have to thank a lot of people: Birmingham, the president, Juni Calafat and Jose Angel Sanchez, and of course my family. Thank you very much and finally ‘Hala Madrid!'”
‘The most rounded talent in football’
Analysis by Mark Carey
The Athletic has previously analysed Bellingham’s playing profile with a data and tactics spin — outlining the teenager to be incredibly well-rounded in his playing profile. This is particularly notable when comparing him against his peers across Europe this season.
No midfielder ranks higher than Bellingham’s 15.3 progressive passes per 100 touches, highlighting just how often he looks to get the ball forward.
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Meanwhile, Bellingham’s (possession-adjusted) 5.2 tackles and interceptions per 90 place him in the top 10 per cent of his peers — highlighting his defensive work rate — with an attacking contribution of 0.38 expected goals (xG) plus expected assists (xA) per 90 also among the top 10 per cent of midfielders across Europe.
Combine those traits and we can visualise just how versatile Bellingham’s skill set is.
Edin Terzic rotated between a 4-2-3-1, a 4-3-3 and a 4-1-4-1 system at Dortmund this season, and Bellingham has showcased his versatility to play as a No 4, No 8 and No 10.
He is indeed a ‘Jude of all trades’.
GO DEEPER
Jude Bellingham is different - A portrait of Real Madrid's new superstar
Additional reporting: Mario Cortegana, Guillermo Rai
(Photo: Pedro Castillo/Real Madrid via Getty Images)