Zinedine Zidane and Lee Bowyer?! Real Madrid star Jude Bellingham names his footballing idols with three Birmingham stars on his surprise shortlist

Real Madrid superstar Jude Bellingham has raised eyebrows with his surprising list of football idols after naming three Birmingham stars on his list.

Bellingham names idols
Zidane on his list
Three Birmingham stars also feature

WHAT HAPPENED? After a stellar season with Borussia Dortmund, the midfielder moved to Real Madrid and has landed the Kopa Trophy, handed out to the world's best young player. When the 20-year-old took home the coveted award, he was asked to list the football players who inspired him as a child and when he was still playing as a youngster. The England international went on to name former Birmingham City players Seb Larsson, Craig Gardner, and Lee Bowyer along with superstar Zinedine Zidane.

WHAT THEY SAID: "I admired the Birmingham players, the team that won the League Cup at Wembley (2-1 against Arsenal in 2011). My heroes were Seb Larsson, Craig Gardner and Lee Bowyer," he told L'Equipe.

“As I got more into it, dad was the most important. Later, my first models were Wayne Rooney and Steven Gerrard, simply because they played in England. And then when you grow up, you start watching football. My dad had a fake Zidane shirt that he had bought on the beach. He took it everywhere, often at home. One day I asked him: ‘By the way, who is that guy?’ He replied: ‘Go on YouTube and check him out.’ Since then, I probably haven’t stopped.”

“Zidane was the player I wanted to be. I was lucky enough to meet him during the Champions League final between Real Madrid and Liverpool (1-0, in 2022). I was like a kid, wide-eyed. It’s so humbling for someone who has achieved so much. He gave off a great presence. And, according to the guys who played with him here, he was a great coach. That is just as important.”

THE BIGGER PICTURE: Bellingham's 13 goals and three assists in 13 games for Real Madrid in all competitions have lit up the Santiago Bernabeu this season. His contributions have helped Madrid win the first Clasico of the campaign against Barcelona and take the lead in the league standings over Girona and Atletico Madrid.

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