Jude Bellingham’s father reacts to his son winning the Kopa Trophy for best u-21 player

Last Monday was a day of many feelings for the Bellingham family. While for Jude (20-years-old) it was a special day as it was the first time he had attended the Ballon d’Or gala, for his parents, Mark and Denise, it was a moment of immense pride and satisfaction. And when their son won the Kopa Trophy for the best u-21 player in the world, even more so.

Voices from inside the club say that during the first moments of contact between Real Madrid and the Bellingham family, the most impactful thing for those in Spain was the clarity of ideas and the brevity of the requests made.

They say that Bellingham’s mother is the one who keeps her son’s feet on the ground while the father, an ex-police sergeant, manages everything that has gone on since Jude’s arrival on Spanish soil. As well as this, various figures have been contracted to manage aspects such as the economic and marketing side of what comes with being an elite footballer. If something is wrong, it’s made clear as soon as possible.

Bellingham met with Haaland at the Ballon d’Or awards

For example, Bojan Krkic, the father of the ex-Barcelona player, wanted to sign Jude for the Catalan club. But Bellingham, who knew from Louie Barry, an English player already at the club, that things weren’t going well, decided against a deal. His father supported the decision and now Bellingham has joined Madrid, where everything is going swimmingly for him. Monday’s award was yet another token of affection that the Bellinghams have shown since his arrival at the Bernabéu.

Jude’s time in Paris at the ceremony was short, but full of feelings. Denise helped her son to get dressed and fix his bow tie, while afterwards Bellingham met up with ex-teammate Erling Haaland at the Chatelet Theatre before the pair won their awards. As Bellingham took home the best u-21 award, the Gerd Müller trophy went to Haaland for being the top scorer across the season. Both entering the venue and leaving he was keen to keep and eye on Eden Hazard’s children, who had also travelled to Paris for the celebration.

Yesterday, after all the highs of seeing Bellingham lift the prestigious award, Mark took to Twitter to send a loving message about his son: “Kopa 2023 award for a good kid who’s growing up into a good man. Happy for him. It’s a nice moment for all those teachers and coaches who have been part of the journey. Good people who kept it all fun.”

With the family settled in Spain, Jude cannot move for praise from those connected to Real Madrid. And it is a reciprocal feeling towards the fans, who he embraces with his signature celebration every time he puts the ball in the net. He has scored in three consecutive games at the Estadio Santiago Bernabéu (two in LaLiga and one in the Champions League) and now he has three consecutive opportunities to extend that record before another international break.

He goes again against Rayo Vallecano on Sunday, November 5, with kick off at 4 p.m. ET / 1 p.m. PT.