‘You never know’ - Jude Bellingham return to Birmingham not ruled out by Steve Bruce with retired No.22 shirt waiting to be filled again by Real Madrid ‘Galactico’

West Midlands native Bellingham made his senior breakthrough with Birmingham at the age of 16 years and 38 days - becoming their youngest first-team debutant. His ability had been generating plenty of interest by that point, with it impossible to keep a lid on such potential.

After just 44 appearances for the Blues across a single campaign, bags were packed for Germany and Borussia Dortmund. It was at that point, in the summer of 2020, that the decision was taken to remove the youngster’s jersey from future squad lists. Plenty of eyebrows were raised on the back of that decision, but Birmingham knew what they were dealing with.

Bellingham has gone on to become a talismanic presence for England, taking his tally of international caps and goals to 56 and 13 respectively at the 2026 World Cup, while becoming a global superstar in his own right at Santiago Bernabeu.

He is still only 23 years of age, but could an emotional return to his roots be made at some point - potentially once a 30th birthday has been taken in and Birmingham have, with NFL legend Tom Brady sitting on the most ambitious of boards, cemented themselves back in the Premier League?

Responding to that question, ex-Blues player and manager Bruce - who was speaking courtesy of Free Bets, home of the best UK betting sites - told GOAL: “Jude back at Birmingham? I don't think that's going to be for a long, long time, I have to say.

“But look, to retire his shirt just tells you something about him. We were all aware that there was this kid at Birmingham who was 12, 13 years old and ripping it up. He's a fantastic player who's playing for arguably the biggest club in the world at the moment. Further down the line, you never know.”

Another former Blues star, Clinton Morrison, has previously told GOAL when asked about Bellingham retracing steps to Birmingham - with a stunning new stadium in the pipeline: “Well, maybe. You never know. But at the moment he’s playing for one of the biggest clubs in the world in Real Madrid. I think Jude Bellingham comes back to Birmingham one day - you never know, because Birmingham have the financial ambition to go to a different level. That’s what Birmingham City fans would love.

“But not at this moment in time. He’s playing at Real Madrid, a huge football club. And later on in his career, if Jude Bellingham decides he wants to come back to his old club, he’ll always be welcomed at Birmingham City. The kid was a sensation for the club even at a young age. But yeah, I think that could happen one day, just not now.”

He added: “It just depends, doesn’t it? You never know. He’s still at a decent age. Birmingham have to get to the Premier League first. They need to get there and then be in the Premier League. And then, even then, you’ve got consolidation. It’s so different from the Championship. You can have all the money in the world, but if the players aren’t gelling or you don’t have the right manager, you’re going to struggle.

“So I think Jude’s focus will be on staying at Real Madrid for as long as possible. And if it comes when he gets to 30, 31, 32 and he wants to come home - I’m sure Birmingham City will take Jude Bellingham back.”

Bellingham is currently working on a contract through to 2029. He inherited the No.5 shirt at Real Madrid once worn by Zinedine Zidane, with a confident character never one to shy away from pressure and responsibility.

A move to the Premier League has been speculated on for some time, having already savoured Champions League success in Spain and become a Ballon d’Or contender, but it remains to be seen whether the all-action midfielder will head home to Birmingham or an alternative destination in English football.