Former Real Madrid centre back Jesus Vallejo says he was blown away by what Jude Bellingham said to him after the England midfielder arrived at the club back in 2023
Jude Bellingham may divide opinion in some quarters, but not at Real Madrid. From the moment he arrived, he made a strong impression – not just on the club’s hierarchy, but throughout the squad.
Following his £88million move to the Bernabeu in 2023, the England international was asked which shirt number he wanted. He chose No. 5, famously worn by legendary midfielder Zinedine Zidane. There was just one issue: it was already taken.
Fortunately, Jesus Vallejo – who had inherited the number from Raphael Varane two years earlier – was more than willing to hand it over. It was a small gesture, particularly from a player receiving limited minutes on the pitch, but Bellingham was nonetheless grateful and moved Vallejo with his response.
“I remember they signed Jude and the club told me that Jude liked the No. 5 that had belonged to Zidane,” Vallejo, 28, told The Athletic. “I didn’t need anything else, I told them that I would be delighted to give him the No 5.
“A minute later, Jude sent me a long message in English in private that was very emotional. Then, in person during the pre-season, he thanked me a lot.
“He’s a guy who looks much older than he is. He has a very good mentality, I was delighted to give him the number before meeting him and even more so after I got to know him.”
Despite his popularity in Spain, Bellingham has drawn criticism in recent months for his conduct toward match officials. Some observers now see him as petulant – including the mother of England manager Thomas Tuchel, who went so far as to describe his temperament as “repulsive”.
Still, Bellingham’s maturity hasn’t gone unnoticed in Madrid. It’s understood the club see him as future captain material, and heartfelt messages like the one he sent to Vallejo won’t have hurt his chances.
Despite arriving at Real Madrid for £4.3m in 2015 as one of Spain’s biggest prospects, Vallejo never managed to establish himself in the Spanish capital. In 10 years at the club the defender made just 35 appearances, spending the bulk of his tenure out on loan, including a short, seven-game stint at Wolves during the 2019/20 season.
Now, at 28, he will try to relaunch his career at Albacete, in the Spanish second division. Bellingham, meanwhile, has been on an entirely different trajectory.
He hit the ground running in Madrid, scoring 23 goals across all competitions in his debut season, including 14 in his first 15 games. In doing so, he broke the record previously shared by Cristiano Ronaldo and Alfredo Di Stefano, who had each scored 13 times in their opening 15 appearances for Los Blancos.
The midfielder capped off the season by being crowned the best player in Spain after helping fire Real Madrid to La Liga and Champions League glory. Last season, success on the field was harder to come by, particularly with Real being pipped by Barcelona in the race for the La Liga title.
Still, Bellingham delivered a strong individual performance, finishing the season with 15 goals. Today, he’s widely regarded as one of the biggest talents – and most recognisable names – in world football, and the No. 5 shirt, once synonymous with Zidane, now feels unmistakably his.
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