Jude Bellingham, the recently minted Golden Boy Award winner, has stated that he grew up idolizing Wayne Rooney.
Real Madrid splurged £88 million on the 20-year-old Englishman, but the teenager has taken it all in stride and gone from strength to strength while playing in the pressure cooker of the Bernabeu.
Last season, the kid was named Bundesliga player of the year as Borussia Dortmund came agonizingly close to winning the title.
The England international also played a key role for England in the Qatar World Cup in 2022 and has already established himself as one of the Three Lions’ most significant players.
This season, the former Birmingham City player has an eye-catching 15 goals in 17 appearances. In comparison, the midfielder only scored 24 goals in 132 games for Dortmund. (All statistics courtesy of transfermarkt.com)
As a result of such a performance, the player was awarded the Golden Boy Award. Following the presentation of the trophy, the England international stated that his hero was Manchester United legend Wayne Rooney.
Bellingham joins a long line of players who have won the honour, including Wayne Rooney, Paul Pogba, Lionel Messi, Erling Haaland, and Kylian Mbappe.
What Did Bellingham Say About His Idol?
According to goal.com, during the Turin ceremony, the midfielder commented: “It’s about trying to make my team and my country the best teams in the world. I think to be the best player in the world, that’s what you have to do, to help your teams win. To join that list is such a big honour”.
“For me, I would probably say that Rooney was my biggest influence growing up. Being from England, the way he played, the way he fought. But there are so many other players I’ve taken bits from.”
Despite idolizing Rooney, the player rejected down a move to United in 2020 to follow in his idol’s footsteps.
It was reported that “former Birmingham City advisor Andrés Manzano has admitted that the overwhelming belief during his time at St Andrew’s was that Jude Bellingham would join Manchester United”.
The Red Devils went above and beyond to persuade the player, inviting him and his family on a tour of the club’s facilities and even arranging a meeting with iconic manager Sir Alex Ferguson.
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However, it was all for naught as the Stourbridge-born midfielder eventually chose the Bundesliga and, as they say, the rest is history.
Nonetheless, it is widely thought that Bellingham would return to the Premier League in the future, and while United showed interest in the player when he was on the move in the summer, Old Trafford was never viewed as a genuine destination by many.
Liverpool and Manchester City have been seen as more likely future destinations for the magnificently talented young star, but Red Devils fans will be hoping that by the time the player is ready to return to his homeland, United will be back in the mix as serious League and Champions League contenders.
