'I've never felt so much pain!' - Jude Bellingham made mistake delaying shoulder surgery as Real Madrid star admits fears affected his performances

Bellingham missed the first few months of the current season after undergoing an operation during the summer. Persistent injuries had caused issues for the England international during his time at Dortmund and in his debut season in Spain, and he has admitted that his fears of another dislocation affected his game.

Speaking on his official YouTube channel, Bellingham recalled the moment he fell to the ground and dislocated his shoulder against Rayo Vallecano in November 2023, describing the "agonising" 90 seconds it took for medics to reset the joint. He said: “Everything started on the day of the game against Rayo. It was the most painful sensation I had ever been through until that moment—I’ve never felt so much pain. I felt like an eternity passed until they put it back in for me, and it was only 90 seconds from when they entered the pitch until it was back in place. Previously, I had been able to put it back in myself whenever it came out.”

The England midfielder confessed that he had been advised to undergo surgery as early as his final season at Dortmund but chose to postpone the procedure to avoid missing major tournaments.

He added: “In my last season at Dortmund, at the beginning, they already told me I had to have surgery on my shoulder after a bad fall. I knew something wasn't right, but it was August-September and the World Cup was in December, so I didn't have the surgery. Then I started to feel good. When I arrived at Madrid, I had no pain.

“Everyone told me I had to have surgery, but it was my first year at Real Madrid and I didn't want to leave the team stranded and be out for three months. After losing the Euro final against Spain, I didn't want that to be my last taste of action for three months, but that would have been the best time to have surgery. I decided to continue for another year and I shouldn't have done it.”

Bellingham admitted that the psychological burden of a potential re-injury prevented him from reaching his usual world-class level, leading to a stark statistical decline compared to his debut season. He continued: “The shoulder injury had a lot of effect on the rest of my body. I didn't have much pain, but playing knowing that if I fall it could come out again meant I couldn't be at my best level. Last year made me understand that I couldn't take winning again for granted. Now I'm better physically and I can return to being at my level.”

Bellingham is determined to rediscover his clinical best as Madrid enter a high-stakes Champions League quarter-final against Bayern Munich. The 22-year-old’s dip in form has been stark, with just four goals and three assists in 19 La Liga appearances this season - a massive contrast to the 16 goals he had netted at the same stage during his debut year. With the psychological fear of re-injury finally subsiding, his physical recovery will be the ultimate test as Los Blancos look to overhaul Barcelona’s four-point lead in the final nine games of the title race.