Jude Bellingham: From Birmingham City to the Bernabéu - his journey so far

Jude Bellingham, at the age of just 20, has already achieved a lot!

Having lead Real Madrid to a La Liga title this season, he could be instrumental in another huge win for the Spanish side - the Champions League.

The final competition of the men's season gets played on Saturday, with Real Madrid facing off against Borussia Dortmund.

No British teams made it through to the final, with English Premier League sides, Manchester City and Arsenal getting knocked out of the competition in the quarter-finals.

But it's bound to be a fascinating clash as Bellingham not only plays for Real Madrid, but used to play for Dortmund.

Bellingham has been a rising star in international football for a few years now - so how did he get here?

Who is Jude Bellingham?

Judging by the awards Real Madrid and England midfielder Jude Bellingham has already racked up, it's safe to say he's one of the best players in the game right now.

He has been voted La Liga's Player of the Season in his first year in Spain.

Bellingham joined the Spanish giants in the summer of 2023 and has gone on to score 23 goals in 41 appearances with Madrid.

His performances have helped Real win the Spanish title by 10 points.

Bellingham lifts the Kopa Trophy

He won the Kopa Trophy in November 2023, which is awarded for being the world's best player under the age of 21.

The 20-year-old received the award during the Ballon d'Or ceremony in Paris.

The Kopa Trophy recognises his performances last season, during which he scored 14 times in 42 games for Borussia Dortmund, who he was with before joining Real Madrid.

He also helped England reach the quarter-finals of the World Cup in Qatar.

From Birmingham to The Bernabéu

Street artist Gent 48 created a mural of Jude Bellingham at Ryemarket shopping centre in Stourbridge

Jude Bellingham grew up in Stourbridge, a town west of Birmingham in the West Midlands.

As a young boy he went to Stourbridge Juniors, a club set up by his father, a former non-league football player, Mark Bellingham.

Jude Bellingham has previously spoken in interviews of his earliest memories playing football and the fun he had with his dad coaching on Sunday mornings.

But his first coach, Phil Wooldridge, who remembered meeting Bellingham when he was four, says a love of football didn't come naturally.

"As soon as you put a football in front of him, [he was] not really interested," he told the BBC.

"It took a while [for him to get into football], it wasn't just overnight, it was a matter of a few months."

But when it clicked for Bellingham, there was no stopping him.

A young Jude Bellingham with his coaches at Birmingham City

His love of football grew through school and in his end of year book, under the heading 'When I grow up I want to be...' a young Jude Bellingham wrote: "professional footballer for England".

In an interview with the BBC, Bellingham's former headteacher, Vanessa Payne, said he "stood out for us all those years ago".

Adding that "he was kind, he was thoughtful and he was a good sport - and he was just somebody people wanted to be around.

"He's left a legacy here of sportsmanship and ambition and trying to be the best you can be," Mrs Payne said.

Bellingham's Birmingham City years

Mike Dodds coached Jude Bellingham when he was a youth player at Birmingham City

Bellingham started his footballing career at Birmingham City's academy in their youth side as an under 8 and became the club's youngest first-team player at the age of just 16.

"He's always been very driven in terms of where he wants to get to," says his former coach Mike Dodds who worked with the England star at Birmingham.

Explaining that while he always knew Bellingham was very talented, Dodds, who is now a coach at Sunderland, said sometimes it took a while to realise just how good he was: "I watched him play in the Championship at 16, I sat down and thought 'wow, this boy is a little bit different to most'".

After just one season in Birmingham City's first team, Bellingham moved to German club Borussia Dortmund.

In a decision that surprised many at the time, Birmingham City retired Bellingham's shirt number - 22 - meaning it could never be used again.

Normally a symbolic gesture used for players who have been club legends that have either retired or died, Birmingham City said the move was to "remember one of our own and to inspire others".

Move to Dortmund

Bellingham wore the number 22 for the German side

Dortmund paid £25 million for Bellingham, which is the biggest ever transfer fee for a 17-year-old.

But it seems their investment paid off, as he became their youngest scorer in the Champions League.

And his teammates agreed - former Dortmund goalkeeper Roman Burki said of Bellingham: "He was very confident.

"You could see from the first training he was not shy of going into duels and showing his qualities and his mentality. It was clear from the beginning that this is a guy who is very good for our team."

Bellingham is an England star

Bellingham with three lions on his shirt

Still a teenager at the time, Bellingham was one of England's standout performers at last year's World Cup in Qatar.

The midfielder helped the Three Lions reach the quarter-finals of the competition where they were knocked out by France.

He also scored his first goal for England in the tournament during a 6-2 win over Iran.

The goal made him England's second youngest World Cup goalscorer, behind Michael Owen.

At 19 years and 145 days, Bellingham also became England's third youngest starter at a World Cup behind Luke Shaw in 2014 and Michael Owen in 1998.

Jude with his parents Mark and Denise

Since the World Cup, Bellingham has become a regular in the starting line-up for England.

Another stand-out performance helped his country earn qualification for Euro 2024 in Germany.

A surging run set up Marcus Rashford as England came from behind to beat Italy in a qualifier at Wembley in October '23.

England boss Gareth Southgate said after the match: "His mentality is incredible. To show such maturity and humility at such a young age is incredible and we're lucky to have him."

Transfer to Real Madrid: the most expensive player in British history

Three years after the transfer to Dortmund and Bellingham was on the move again.

On the 14 June, he signed for Real Madrid - one of the world's biggest football clubs - in a deal worth 103m euros (£88.5m).

Despite taking the club's iconic number five shirt, famously worn by legendary Real Madrid footballer Zinedine Zidane, Bellingham has shown no signs of pressure.

Since joining, he has scored in some big matches, including a dream debut goal against Athletic Bilbao and a winner against Madrid's arch-rivals Barcelona.

Asked what his ambitions in football are, Bellingham has said: "I want to win everything.

"I want to do everything in the game.

"I want to be a footballing icon."