Jude Bellingham visited, saw and conquered Spain during his first season at Real Madrid, and the English midfielder was instrumental in the club's La Liga title.
Madrid had won only three of the last 11 Spanish titles, but Bellingham's goal snatched the crown from rivals Barcelona with four games remaining.
When Los Blancos agreed to a 103 million euro (approximately $110 million) deal with Borussia Dortmund for the midfielder, he was only 19 years old and his opponents underestimated him. It was no wonder that he was.
In a sense, Carlo Ancelotti was the same way.
Bellingham was the Bundesliga's best player this season and an undoubted talent, but no one expected him to get off to such a successful start in Spain or to become such a powerful threat in the final third. It wasn't.
Ancelotti used him as part of Madrid's front line, noting that Bellingham could cause havoc in attacking areas, but later admitted he was surprised by Bellingham's goal-scoring feat. –He is the team's top scorer in La Liga, scoring 18 goals.
Bellingham had scored just 16 goals in four league seasons before playing for Birmingham and Borussia Dortmund.
He showed perfect calm in front of the world's media at a presentation last June, showing that Wales winger Gareth Bale already knew how to win over struggling fans.
Bellingham chose the No. 5 shirt in honor of former Madrid great Zinedine Zidane, to whom he has been compared for his technical ability.
“It's not that the other teams are bad, it's just that Real Madrid are the best,” said Bellingham, who led Los Blancos to a record-extending 36th La Liga title and extended their legacy. Contributed.
Bellingham became the first English player to score for Real Madrid since David Beckham made his debut for Athletic Bilbao in 2007.
He scored two goals and another in Madrid's next game against Almeria, scored the winning goal against Celta Vigo the following week, and repeated the trick in his first home appearance against Getafe.
Madrid opened the renovated Santiago Bernabéu and played with the newly installed roof closed. Bellingham scored the deciding goal in the 95th minute for a 2-1 come-from-behind victory and was nearly blown away.
The England international celebrated with arms wide open, but it was his own, hinting at the arrogance needed to show that the praise was deservedly directed towards him. Ta.
Fans in Madrid serenaded him with the Beatles' famous song that bears his name. “When they were singing 'Hey Jude,' I got goosebumps,” Bellingham says humbly.
“I don’t know what I did to deserve it, but I’m just grateful.”
It turned out that it was a deposit to win the league title, and that Madrid, the record winning team, were likely to advance to the Champions League, where they are aiming for their 15th crown.
“It sets the mood, but I love comebacks,” Bellingham added, proving he is made of the material Madrid love.
For much of the season, Catalan side Girona were Madrid's closest rivals for the title, helping Bellingham claim victory at Montilivi when the teams met in late September.
The 20-year-old's sublime cross put Madrid ahead through Josel and they went on to take the lead with a 3-0 win. They haven't looked back since.
The same goes for Bellingham, who scored twice in his first Clasico and contributed to Madrid's important victory.
“Smarter than others” The first game against Barcelona was great, hitting home from long range, but he didn't celebrate like he usually does. He knew there was more to come.
Bellingham pushed Madrid past and volleyed home a winner in the 92nd minute, putting the champions ahead by four points and widening the gap.
“I just called home,” Bellingham said afterward. “When I think about the time I was watching this game on my couch, I get a little bit of a feeling… Now it was my turn to experience it and leave an impression.”
Even though Vinicius Junior and Rodrygo were out of form, he continued to score and Madrid continued to win, with detractors claiming his attacks were largely due to luck.
“He has quality and he seems to be lucky,'' thought Ancelotti. “(But) when attacking from the second line, he's smarter than the other players.”
Bellingham's goalscoring has slowed since the winter, partly because he started so well that it was impossible to sustain it, but partly because Ancelotti made more demands on him defensively. That's the reason.
There have also been ankle injuries, nagging shoulder problems and suspensions for dissent, as the rare cracks in his perfectly curated images show.
Although less brilliant, it was still Bellingham who scored twice in Madrid's 4-0 victory over Girona, a decisive moment in the title race.
Bellingham then struck again against Barcelona, scoring the winning goal in stoppage time, effectively sealing the title with a 3-2 victory over Real Madrid in April.
On the day that clinched the La Liga title, he scored again as Madrid beat Cadiz 3-0.
Should Madrid sign Kylian Mbappe as they wish, the versatile Bellingham could become even more important in a deeper role next season. He's off to a great start, and it's just the beginning.
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© Agence France-Presse
