Jude Bellingham

Bellingham joined Birmingham City as an under-8.[3] He played for their under-18 team at 14,[10] and made his debut for their under-23 team at the age of 15, on 15 October 2018 away to Nottingham Forest's U23s. 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."[12] By March 2019, he had three goals from ten development squad appearances,[13] had featured in FourFourTwo's list of the "50 most exciting teenagers in English football",[14] and was being mentioned as of interest to major European clubs.[15][16] He was gradually introduced to the first-team environment while still a schoolboy, increasingly training with the seniors, accompanying them on matchday to observe,[10] and, in March 2019, travelling as the "19th man" for the visit to West Bromwich Albion in the Championship.[13]

Bellingham took up a two-year scholarship with Birmingham City to begin in July 2019.[17] He was part of the first-team squad that spent a week in Portugal as part of their pre-season training,[18] played and scored in pre-season friendlies,[19] and was given squad number 22 for the 2019–20 season.[20] On 6 August 2019, Bellingham became Birmingham City's youngest ever first-team player – at the age of 16 years, 38 days, beating the record of 16 years 139 days set by Trevor Francis in 1970[3] – when he started the EFL Cup first round visit to Portsmouth. He played for 80 minutes in the 3–0 defeat, and was the Birmingham Mail's man of the match.[21] He made his first Football League appearance 19 days later, as a second-half substitute in a 3–0 defeat away to Swansea City,[22] and his home debut on 31 August against Stoke City. Entering the game after half an hour to replace the injured Jefferson Montero, Bellingham went on to score the winning goal – albeit via a generous deflection – as Birmingham came back from 1–0 down to beat Stoke 2–1, and thus became Birmingham's youngest ever goalscorer, at the age of 16 years and 63 days.[23] He started the next match, away to Charlton Athletic two weeks later, and scored the only goal from Kerim Mrabti's cutback.[24]

Bellingham continued as a permanent fixture in the matchday squad, sometimes as a substitute but mainly in the starting eleven.[11] 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.[11] He was EFL Young Player of the Month for November 2019.[8] 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."[25]

He was linked with moves to numerous major clubs in January 2020;[26] on deadline day, Birmingham were reported to have turned down a £20 million bid from Manchester United.[27] 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,[22] 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.[28] 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.[22][29] 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."[30] At the EFL Awards, he was named both Championship Apprentice of the Year and EFL Young Player of the Season.[31]

It had long become obvious that Bellingham would leave Birmingham at the end of the season. 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, that became his destination of choice. He flew to Germany for a medical, and the transfer was confirmed on 20 July 2020: he would join after Birmingham's last match of the season. The undisclosed fee was understood by Sky Sports to be an initial £25 million – making him the most expensive 17-year-old in history – plus "several million more" dependent on performance-related criteria.[32][33]

Bellingham made his debut on 14 September 2020 in the starting eleven for the first fixture of Borussia Dortmund's 2020–21 season, against third-tier MSV Duisburg in the DFB-Pokal, at the age of 17 years, 77 days. After half an hour, he scored the second goal in a 5–0 win, and became not only the club's youngest goalscorer in the DFB-Pokal, taking six days off Giovanni Reyna's record, but also their youngest scorer in any competitive match, breaking Nuri Şahin's record by five days.[34] Five days later, he marked his Bundesliga debut with the assist for Reyna's opening goal in a 3–0 win over Borussia Mönchengladbach,[35] and was named as Bundesliga Rookie of the Month for September.[36] When Bellingham faced Lazio in the group stage on 20 October, aged 17 years and 113 days, he became the youngest Englishman to start a Champions League match, breaking the record previously set by Phil Foden.[37]

As of match played 2 February 2021

As of match played 12 November 2020[41]