JUDE BELLINGHAM really is a man of his word.
As a young child, kicking a ball around his hometown Stourbridge, he convinced himself and those around him that, one day, he would grace the grandest stage in European football.
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It was laughable talk, even for an eye-catching talent that made his Birmingham City senior debut on August 6, 2019 at the age of just 16 years and 38 days.
But nearly five years on, that day has come – and no one is laughing – as Real Madrid face Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League final at Wembley this weekend.
It will come as no surprise that Bellingham – who turns 21 next month – will be the main attraction under the arch come Saturday night, draped in that famous Los Blancos strip.
His transformation into a global superstar has been nothing short of frightening, as are his numbers from midfield this season: 23 goals in 41 games in all competitions, with 19 coming in LaLiga.
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England fans have been left drooling over the prospect of seeing their new hero tearing up the Euros in a similar way this summer over in Germany.
Yet for now, all eyes are on a prize that Madrid have lifted a record 14 times in their history.
It feels only natural to assume a Midlands lad will soon put his stamp on No15, having already lifted the LaLiga and Super Cup trophies this term.
Bellingham said: “It is a game [the Champions League final] I have been dreaming of since I started playing football. I always thought I could reach this level and win trophies.
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“I probably never realised it would happen so quickly, and probably didn’t realise the potential of my own game when it came to scoring and creating goals.
“But, I understand the opportunity and not many people get to play in a game like this. I don’t want to waste a second and I won’t take it for granted. I will enjoy it.
“I have been so fortunate in football and in life to have so many good people around me that have always just wanted me to enjoy the game for how it is and play with freedom.
“I have always been taught to dream as big as possible. That still reflects in the way I play now.”
Bellingham may be reaching for the stars, but he never forgets where he is from.
He added: “I am always in touch with people from Birmingham, people from my past. They are just as excited for it as me. They have been trying to get a few more tickets…”
At Madrid’s sun-kissed training ground, Bellingham is standing tall on a small metal platform, looking down at a hungry media pack who are chomping at the bit for every cough and splutter he has to offer.
Bellingham’s response is telling. He smiles, cracks a few jokes and waxes lyrical in a way most seasoned pros struggle with. The pack are soon putty in his young hands.
It begs the question: how on earth is he like this during one of the biggest weeks of his life and career so far?
Bellingham chuckled: “This is a game I have dreamed of all my life, so it would be stupid now to get here and want to hide away from the occasion.
“I know how to feel good going into big games. I have been around amazing pros and stolen little things from them.
“It’s important to just be me and not worry too much about the emotional side.”
In truth, Bellingham was born to deliver in these sorts of moments, but his £88.5million summer switch from Dortmund to the Bernabeu last June has taken him to even greater heights.
BRITISH PLAYERS IN CHAMPIONS LEAGUE/EUROPEAN CUP FINALS FOR REAL MADRID
1981
Lawrie Cunningham vs Liverpool (L 1-0) Goals: 0
2000
Steve McManaman vs Valencia (W 3-0) Goals: 1
2002
Steve McManaman vs Bayer Leverkusen (W 2-1) Goals: 0
2014
Gareth Bale vs Atletico Madrid (W 4-1) Goals: 1
2016
Gareth Bale vs Atletico Madrid (D 1-1, 5-3 pens) Goals: 0
2017
Gareth Bale vs Juventus (W 4-1) Goals: 0
2018
Gareth Bale vs Liverpool (W 3-1) Goals: 2
He has Madrid’s eyebrow-raising managerial maestro Carlo Ancelotti to thank, the Italian coach pushing the Three Lions star higher up the pitch straight away. Take note, Gareth Southgate.
Bellingham said: “From the first day I arrived [Ancelotti] said you’re going to be playing a little bit higher. It was not something I had done so consistently before.
“But, I was really excited by the prospect of it, being closer to goal, being free in the top third. In the end, it was a decent decision. He knows what he is doing.”
It is fitting that Bellingham gets to face off against his old pals at Dortmund, where he spent three fine years.
He received a text from one of those in Jadon Sancho shortly after Real’s semi-final triumph over Bayern Munich, a player he "respects a lot".
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A wall surrounding a training pitch at Madrid’s base reads: “This is Grandeza”, which translates to “greatness”.
Should Bellingham climb the Wembley steps and lift the Champions League, that slogan may well apply solely to him.
