Jude Bellingham

At 16 years, 42 days, he lowered the record set by Trevor Francis in 1970 by 101 days.

He played for 80 minutes in the 3–0 defeat, and was the Birmingham Mail man of the match.

He made his first Football League appearance 19 days later, as a second-half substitute in a 3–0 defeat away to Swansea City, and his home debut on 31 August against Stoke City.

Replacing the injured Jefferson Montero after half an hour, Bellingham scored the winner – albeit via a generous deflection – as Birmingham came back from 1–0 down to beat Stoke 2–1, and thus became their youngest goalscorer, aged 16 years and 63 days.

He started the next match, away to Charlton Athletic two weeks later, and scored the only goal from Kerim Mrabti's cutback.

Bellingham continued as a permanent fixture in the matchday squad, sometimes as a substitute but mainly in the starting eleven.

He was eased into the team on the left wing, moved into central midfield "where he could gain more confidence", and then used "in a more advanced role" once the staff were sure he could cope with the responsibility.

Entering the game after an hour, he scored the only goal in the 87th minute "sliding in to force the ball over the goal line after pressure by Kyle McFarlane on the keeper diverted the ball into his path."

Jude Victor William Bellingham (born 29 June 2003) is an English professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for La Liga club Real Madrid and the England national team.

In 2023, he won both major awards for male footballers aged under 21: the Golden Boy, for nominees playing in Europe over the last calendar year, and the Kopa Trophy, for the world's best over the previous season.

Bellingham is widely considered as one of the best players in the world.

Jude Victor William Bellingham was born on 29 June 2003 in Stourbridge, in the Metropolitan Borough of Dudley, West Midlands, the eldest son of Denise and Mark Bellingham.

His father Mark was, until 2022, a sergeant in the West Midlands Police, and a prolific goalscorer in non-League football.

Bellingham's younger brother, Jobe, is also a footballer.

Bellingham attended Priory School in Edgbaston, Birmingham.

Bellingham joined Birmingham City as an under-8, after playing for Stourbridge.

He played for their under-18 team at 14, and made his debut for their under-23 team at the age of 15, on 15 October 2018 away to Nottingham Forest's U23s.

Bellingham joined Birmingham City as an under-8, became the club's youngest first-team player when he made his senior debut in August 2019, at the age of 16 years, 42 days, and played regularly during the 2019–20 season.

By March 2019, he had three goals from ten development squad appearances, had featured in FourFourTwo list of the "50 most exciting teenagers in English football", and was mentioned as of interest to major European clubs.

He was gradually introduced to the first-team environment while still a schoolboy: increasingly training with the seniors, he accompanied them on matchday to observe, and travelled as the "19th man" for a Championship match in March.

Bellingham took up a two-year scholarship with Birmingham City to begin in July 2019.

He was part of the first-team training camp in Portugal, played and scored in pre-season friendlies, and was given squad number 22 for the 2019–20 season.

On 6 August, when he started the EFL Cup first round visit to Portsmouth, Bellingham became Birmingham City's youngest first-team player.

He was EFL Young Player of the Month for November 2019.

According to head coach Pep Clotet, Bellingham himself "feels more comfortable in midfield, and more comfortable when he can get closer to the opposition box."

He joined Borussia Dortmund in July 2020, and in his first appearance became their youngest goalscorer.

Over three seasons with the club he made 132 appearances and won the 2020–21 DFB-Pokal; his performances in the 2022–23 season helped Dortmund finish as runners-up and earned him the Bundesliga Player of the Season award.

In 2023, Bellingham signed for Real Madrid for a fee of €103 million.

He represented England at under-15, under-16, under-17 and under-21 levels.

He made his first appearance for the senior team in November 2020, and represented the country at UEFA Euro 2020 and the 2022 FIFA World Cup.

He was linked with moves to numerous major clubs in January 2020; on deadline day, Birmingham were reported to have turned down a £20 million bid from Manchester United.

Bellingham continued as a first-team regular, and by the time the season was suspended because of the COVID-19 pandemic, he had made 32 league appearances.

He remained an integral part of the team once the season resumed behind closed doors, and set up a late equaliser for Lukas Jutkiewicz against Charlton Athletic that made Birmingham's league position less precarious with two matches still to play.

He finished the season with four goals from 44 appearances in all competitions, 41 in the league, as Birmingham avoided relegation despite losing the last match of the season.

In appreciation of what Bellingham achieved in such a short time with the first team, the club announced that they would retire his number 22 shirt, "to remember one of our own and to inspire others."

At the EFL Awards, he was named both Championship Apprentice of the Year and EFL Young Player of the Season.

Many believed at the time that Bellingham would leave Birmingham, and it was reported that he and his father had visited several major clubs, of which Manchester United and Bundesliga club Borussia Dortmund were the favourites.

Impressed by Dortmund's record of including young players as regulars in the first team, as evidenced by the likes of Jadon Sancho, Bellingham reportedly settled on the club as his destination of choice.

He flew to Germany for a medical, and the transfer was confirmed on 20 July 2020.

Bellingham was to join after Birmingham's last match of the season.