Jude Bellingham says he ‘can’t wait to try out’ the bad Spanish words being taught to him by his new Real Madrid teammates.
The 20-year-old moved to Madrid in a deal that could eventually be worth £115m to Borussia Dortmund, should all the performance related add-ons and bonuses involved be achieved.
Bellingham is just the sixth English male footballer to ever play for Real Madrid, following in the footsteps of Laurie Cunningham, Steve McManaman, David Beckham, Michael Owen and Jonathan Woodgate, and has taken on the mantle of wearing the club’s number five shirt – made famous in the modern era by Zinedine Zidane.
Moving to Spain is a brand new experience for Bellingham, though he no stranger to being away from his comfort zone. At just 17, he joined Dortmund from Birmingham City in a deal worth £25m, making him the most expensive player of that age.
Bellingham soon became the club’s youngest ever goalscorer in the DFB-Pokal, netting half an hour into his debut against MSV Duisberg, and over the next three years established as one of the finest midfielders in the world.
Now in a new environment, at arguably the biggest club in world football, Bellingham admits he’s still adapting to his new surroundings, but some help from his teammates – particularly around learning a new language – is helping him to settle in.
READ THE LATEST NEWS, TRANSFER RUMOURS & GOSSIP
“Lucas Vázquez and Brahim Díaz are probably my biggest Spanish teachers,” Bellingham told the club’s media channels. “Everyone’s chipping in and teaching me bad words. I can’t wait to try them out.”
He added that one of the biggest challenges of the move so far has been acclimatising to the heat of training, though he’s ‘feeling strong and good’ so far.
There was also time to praise the ability of veteran midfielder Toni Kroos, who undoubtedly will be tasked by manager Carlo Ancelotti with passing on his wisdom to a player likely to be the cornerstone of the club’s midfield for years to come.
“Toni Kroos is a master. One thing I’ve noticed is his passing details,” Bellingham said of the German. “The ball just drops wherever he wants it to, all the time.
“Having watched Kroos from the outside, it’s a pleasure to watch him up close. It’s really good being able to receive the ball from him, showing him what I can do too, and see how our skills can match.”
