Jude Bellingham denied BBC Sports Personality of the Year glory! Real Madrid & England hero loses out to athletics phenomenon Keely Hodgkinson

The Real Madrid and England midfielder has enjoyed a spectacular 2024, winning Champions League and La Liga titles at the end of a stellar debut season with the club, before going on to reach the final of Euro 2024 with the national team. Bellingham was one of six nominees for the prestigious award given out by the BBC every December.

Oympic gold medalist Hodgkinson was declared the winner on Tuesday following her star showing in Paris this summer and defended her European 800m title in Rome, while Bellingham failed to make the top three in the final rankings, as darts youngster Luke Littler came in second and England cricketer Joe Root third.

Hodgkinson is the fourth woman to win the award in a row. After tennis ace Emma Raducanu won it in 2021, Lionesses Beth Mead and Mary Earps claimed the prize in over the following two years.

Bellingham missed out on two top prizes on Tuesday, having come in third in the rankings for The Best FIFA Men's Player award as it went to team-mate Vinicius Junior. He will aim to make sure he is in contention next year by turning this season into a success.