MADRID – Jude Bellingham’s first year at Real Madrid started in unbelievable fashion amid a whirlwind of goals, but the ending could be more incredible still. With the Spanish league title in the bag, Real are aiming for a fifth La Liga and Champions League double, against the England international’s former team Borussia Dortmund in the Wembley final on June 1. “It’s such a big game, my first Champions League final, back home in England against my old team – it’s a crazy one, I couldn’t have dreamt it any better,” Bellingham said.
The 20-year-old midfielder was voted La Liga’s Player of the Season on May 29. Bellingham scored 19 league goals and four in Europe on the way to the final. Arriving at Real last summer, he revealed his love of former midfield great Zinedine Zidane and even took the Frenchman’s No.
5 shirt in homage. However, Real coach Carlo Ancelotti had other plans for Bellingham, a classy central midfielder at Dortmund, putting him straight into the space vacated by striker Karim Benzema’s departure. It paid instant dividends, with 13 goals in his first 13 games, getting him off to a flying start with Real’s fans quick to serenade him with Beatles song “Hey Jude”.
Did he anticipate this kind of impact? “I came here because I wanted to win, and to expect it,” he said. “It’s a bit greedy almost, but you have to be confident when you’re playing with so many great players.” Bellingham often delivered in key moments but his g.