Why does Jude Bellingham wear the No. 22 jersey?

Bellingham has been heralded as one of the most talented youngsters in world football. Liverpool and Real Madrid, along with other clubs, competed for the signature of the 20-year-old in the summer, with Los Blancos managing to beat the competition.

While the Englishman is renowned for his exploits on the field with the ball, his jersey number has piqued the interest of fans alike. Bellingham wore 22 since breaking out at Birmingham City. The club even retired his number 22 after he made just 44 appearances before sealing a £25 million move to Dortmund.

The midfielder later continued to wear the same jersey number at Borussia Dortmund.

Here GOAL explains the reasons behind his decision to wear 22.

The story behind his unique number choice begins from his early days at Birmingham City. During his early years, the club told him that he did not need to limit himself to one role - and that he could be a 4 (holding midfielder), 8 (box-to-box midfielder) and 10 (attacking midfielder) and play each position at the same level.

Birmingham City's head of development, Mike Dodds, spoke to talkSPORT 2 explaining the reasons behind his jersey number choice. "I actually remember his first session as a seven-year-old," Dodds told talkSPORT 2.

"I thought, 'Yeah he's alright, not too bad'. He didn't stand out. It probably wasn't until he got to 13 where you started to go, 'This boy is very good. He would have been about 13 or 14 and like most boys that age, they want to be a No 10. And I remember, we sat down with him and we said, 'we think you're doing yourself a disservice, we think you can do all of it," he added.

"So we came up with, 'we think you can be a 22'. His eyes lit up and we knew we had hooked him from then on in!" Dodds explained.

The youngster was given number 5 at his new club Real Madrid after joining the Merengues in the summer for a record €103 million. Antonio Rudiger already had number 22 at Spanish capital, so the English midfielder decided on Zinedine Zidane's legendary number 5 jersey.

“I’ve said in many interviews how much I admire Zinedine Zidane, the legacy he’s had at the club with this number -- I’m just trying to be Jude, but it’s definitely a bit of a homage to how great he was,” Bellingham told a news conference.

“The number 22 has a big meaning for me, and in my heart, I’m still number 22, just with the number 5 on my back,” he added.

Bellingham has been spectacular for Carlo Ancelotti's side, already hitting double digits in goals this season. The youngster has adapted seamlessly and has emerged as a leader in the side.