“Jude taking my shirt? It was a surprise” - Zidane makes admission on Bellingham opting for his no.5 shirt at Real Madrid
French legend Zinedine Zidane opens up on Jude Bellingham opting for his No.5 shirt at Real Madrid. The former attacking midfielder wore that number for five years from 2001 to 2006 at Los Blancos.
About the 21-year-old taking on the No. 5 shirt after arriving at Santiago Bernabéu on a six-year contract last summer, Zidane said (via The Madrid Zone):
"Jude taking my shirt? It was a surprise. But it was a good surprise. In the end, what he is doing, the player he is, I think also that the Madridistas didn’t think about a year like this for him. In the first year (at a new club), there is always a time of adaptation and he didn’t. He always knew what he was doing. He was perfect."
In his debut season at Real Madrid, the English midfielder recorded 23 goals and 13 assists in 42 appearances across all competitions. He won La Liga, Supercopa de España, and UEFA Champions League last season.
Meanwhile, Zinedine Zidane, during this five-year tenure at the Spanish giants, won the 2002–03 La Liga. He also won the 2001 and 2003 Supercopa de España, the 2001–02 UEFA Champions League, the 2002 UEFA Super Cup, and the 2002 Intercontinental Cup.
Real Madrid legend on comparison with Jude Bellingham
Since his arrival from Borussia Dortmund at Real Madrid last summer, Jude Bellingham has been compared to Zinedine Zidane. Addressing the ongoing comparison, the legendary midfielder said:
"Jude Bellingham compared to me? Each one is what he is. I think he is going to be a different player. Apart from the No. 5 that we both wear, technically he may be similar but we don’t have to compare."
"Jude was asked about me and he said, ‘No, I’m Bellingham’. He is right. Everyone makes their own history, and I think his history at Real Madrid is going to be very beautiful," added Zinedine Zidane.
The midfielder recorded two goals and one assist in seven matches for England at the 2024 UEFA European Championship. However, they lost 2-1 in the final against Spain on July 14 at Olympiastadion in Berlin, Germany.