Wishes from the 'sheriff'! Jude Bellingham FaceTimes James Maddison after Tottenham star undergoes ACL surgery

What began as a routine pre-season outing against Newcastle last week quickly turned sour for Tottenham as Maddison went down with what was later confirmed as an anterior cruciate ligament injury. It’s a crushing setback for Thomas Frank’s side, who had been counting on the 28-year-old to be a key creative force in their new campaign.

While Maddison begins his long road to recovery, one of the first calls he received was from Bellingham. The Madrid midfielder, who is also sidelined with an injury, reached out over FaceTime to check in on his fellow England international after his operation.

Maddison shared a screenshot of their chat on social media with the caption: “Some fella for one fella, the sheriff @judebellingham.” Bellingham reposted the image to his own account, adding: “My sheriff. Back even better! 0 doubt.”

@judebellingham Instagram

Tottenham’s response to Maddison’s absence has been swift. With the Premier League season fast approaching, the club have already tested the waters in the transfer market. Their first move was a €40 million (£35m/$47m) bid for Como’s Nico Paz, but the Italian side swiftly rejected it. Spurs also remain strongly linked with Crystal Palace’s Eberechi Eze. The 26-year-old has a release clause of £68m ($91.9m/€78.6m), but it will only remain active until August 15, leaving the north London club in a race against the clock to seal a deal.

While he offers support from afar, Bellingham has his own fitness battle to overcome. The 22-year-old is currently recovering from a shoulder operation, which has ruled him out of action for Madrid until at least the end of October. For now, the England midfielder is making the most of his downtime, spending part of his rehabilitation period on a family holiday in Jamaica. It’s a rare chance for the young star to switch off, even if his mind is already on returning to the Bernabeu in peak condition.