Jude Bellingham reveals David Beckham message and Spanish study plans

Excitement is growing in the Spanish capital as we edge ever closer to seeing Jude Bellingham in the famous white shirt. And the Englishman has disclosed that a former Bernabéu compatriot, David Beckham, sent him a personal message after his move to Real Madrid.

Madrid’s Englishmen: Becks to Bellingham

The 20-year-old has become the seventh British player to join the Spanish club, following his transfer from Borussia Dortmund for a sum of 103 million euros (c. $113 million) last month. Bellingham follows in the footsteps of iconic figures such as Beckham, Gareth Bale, and Michael Owen, who have all made the switch to the Spanish capital. Beckham, in particular, gained significant global attention when he moved from Manchester United to Real Madrid in 2003. Recently, the former England captain reached out to Bellingham to extend his well wishes.

Bellingham expressed his openness to tapping into the knowledge of Beckham and other former players regarding their experiences playing at Madrid. He stated, “David Beckham messaged me briefly to wish me all the best.”

Acknowledging the influx of opinions and advice surrounding his move, Bellingham emphasized his ability to discern between valuable insights and less helpful ones. He shared that so far, the advice from ex-players has been overwhelmingly positive. He expressed his intention to incorporate their guidance into his own journey and potentially establish contact with them to gain insights into adapting to life in Spain.

“It is one of those moves where everyone has their input from the outside so you do hear a lot of things and advice,” he said. “I am quite good at filtering out the good from the bad, so far it has been really positive from ex-players. I will try and take that on board and at some point maybe get in touch with them and see how they adapted to life in Spain.”

Hey Jude, what about Spanish lessons?

As part of his adaptation to his new lifestyle in Spain, Bellingham has taken up learning the language. He has started using a language-learning app to enhance the vocabulary he acquired during his school years. “I have it on my phone, and I’ve been consistently using it for the past nine days,” he revealed.

Bellingham highlighted how exposure to the language through various sources, such as hearing it spoken and observing interviews with other players on TV, aids in its natural acquisition. Comparing it to learning German, he noted that Spanish is considerably easier. Reflecting on his school experience, Bellingham mentioned that he studied Spanish until year nine and regrets not continuing with it in hindsight.

Bellingham the ambassador

Bellingham has now become an ambassador for the McDonald’s Fun Football program, the largest grassroots program in the UK catering to 5-11 year-olds, providing free access to football for 250,000 children over the past year. Although Bellingham used to attend similar events in the past, his potential for greater achievements was not immediately apparent.

“During the first year or so of participating in such events, my primary interest was in games like British Bulldog and other fun activities,” he admitted. “For me, getting into the game was a gradual process, but it was made easier due to the lack of pressure on me. The main focus for my parents was ensuring my social development and involvement in a healthy and beneficial activity.”