Actual Madrid curiosity gave Bellingham ‘goosebumps’

England midfielder Jude Bellingham stated he had “goosebumps” and his “coronary heart was near stopping” when he was informed Actual Madrid needed to signal him.

The charge may attain 133.9m euros (£115m) with add-ons.

“I’d all the time been conscious of the curiosity from England in order that was fairly regular,” stated Bellingham at his presentation as a Actual Madrid participant.

“It was a little bit of a shock when my dad sat me down and stated: ‘You’ve had a little bit of curiosity from Actual Madrid.’

“I believe that was possibly about 12-15 months in the past. When he stated that I had goosebumps, my coronary heart was near stopping. It’s one thing you don’t anticipate rising up – with the ability to play for a group like this.”

Dortmund made Bellingham the most costly 17-year-old in soccer after they signed him for £25m in 2020 and he enhanced his popularity together with his performances for the German membership.

He turned Dortmund’s youngest captain at 19 and was named the Bundesliga’s participant of the season for the final marketing campaign.

Bellingham had been linked with Liverpool, Manchester Metropolis and Manchester United earlier than selecting to maneuver to Actual Madrid.

At his presentation, he referred to as it the “proudest day of my life” in becoming a member of “the best soccer membership within the historical past of the sport”.

He added: “Cash will not be a factor for me. I don’t take into consideration cash in any respect after I make these sort of choices. I by no means have and can – I play the sport purely out of affection.

“I spoke to the folks after I was given permission by Borussia Dortmund. I beloved the sensation I received from the membership. I couldn’t conceal it.

“I informed them roughly immediately what I felt concerning the membership and, after I made my determination, I needed it to occur in a short time.

“It wasn’t a case of different groups are dangerous or they weren’t good however, for me, Madrid is the best.”

Final season, Actual Madrid didn’t win the Champions League – going out within the semi-finals – or La Liga, with rivals Barcelona taking the Spanish title.

Bellingham stated: “A membership like Madrid and its followers and the individuals who work for the membership should have trophies yearly. This 12 months they didn’t handle to get La Liga and the Champions League.

“That’s the usual I wish to assist the membership attain, the place they’ll compete for these honours very intently yearly.

“Manchester Metropolis had an awesome season, but it surely simply offers us extra hearth to go for it subsequent 12 months.”

‘It’s simply so thrilling and a chance I couldn’t flip down’

Bellingham is the sixth English males’s participant to signal for Actual Madrid after Laurie Cunningham, Steve McManaman, David Beckham, Jonathan Woodgate and Michael Owen.

His presentation started with a showreel of a few of his greatest moments at Birmingham and Borussia Dortmund in addition to with the England nationwide group.

Bellingham watched on together with his dad and mom and brother earlier than a speech by Actual president Florentino Perez, who referred to as it an “thrilling” day for the La Liga membership as “among the best gamers on the earth” had joined them.

“I’ve not simply come right here due to the dimensions of the membership. Clearly, it’s large however when the blokes pitched the imaginative and prescient of the group, I used to be utterly concerned and all in,” stated Bellingham.

“It’s not simply ‘we’re Actual Madrid, we would like you to return and be a part of for us’. That’s sufficient for me, to be trustworthy, however then the concepts that they had have been so good, it’s simply so thrilling and a chance I couldn’t flip down.”

Requested about when he had determined to decide on Actual, he added: “I had the assembly the place they got here to my home and I used to be offered.

“I used to be on the [Champions League] last in 2022 after they beat Liverpool. That was one other large issue. There have been a load of issues that go into making a call to hitch this membership.”

What concerning the stress of the charge?

Bellingham may turn out to be the most costly English participant if his charge surpasses the £100m Manchester Metropolis paid Aston Villa for attacking midfielder Jack Grealish in 2021.

Actual Madrid have additionally made him their second-most costly signing, after Eden Hazard’s 115m euro transfer from Chelsea in 2019, and he’s the third-most costly teenager in historical past.

“It’s not one thing I’m involved about. I’m by no means actually enthusiastic about understanding what it [the fee] is strictly,” stated Bellingham.

“For me, it doesn’t matter how a lot I’ve come right here for – the target is similar, to win trophies and assist Actual Madrid proceed to be the largest group on the earth.

“I’m a footballer and never a lawyer or an accountant and my job is to deal with enterprise out on the pitch.”

What about Kane or Mbappe becoming a member of him at Actual?

Actual Madrid are believed to need Tottenham striker Harry Kane, Bellingham’s England colleague, as they appear to switch Karim Benzema, who has agreed to hitch Saudi Arabian champions Al-Ittihad.

“So far as the Harry Kane rumours, I can’t touch upon that,” stated Bellingham.

“He’s a world-class participant, he’s my captain for the nationwide group. I really like him as a participant and as an individual. No matter occurs there occurs however it isn’t actually for me to remark about.”

France striker Kylian Mbappe has additionally been linked with Actual after he stated he wouldn’t lengthen his take care of Paris St-Germain past the summer season of 2024.

“They’re each unbelievable gamers and the perfect on the earth at their positions,” Bellingham added.

“However I can’t actually remark. I don’t know his state of affairs.

“I’ve seen among the protection on the web and on Twitter. If there’s something that my entire saga has taught me it isn’t all the things that you simply see is true. Don’t take issues phrase for phrase.

“Would I prefer to play with a participant like Kylian Mbappe? Who wouldn’t?”

Is he the subsequent Zidane?

Bellingham will put on the quantity 5 at his new membership, with the shirt quantity having beforehand been adorned by France and Actual Madrid legend Zinedine Zidane.

Zidane, who received the World Cup together with his nation in 1998, performed for Actual from 2001 to 2006 and scored a surprising objective when he helped them win the Champions League in 2002.

“I’ve stated in lots of interviews how a lot I love Zinedene Zidane,” stated Bellingham.

“The legacy inside the membership and this quantity. I’m not attempting to be the identical as him, I’m simply attempting to be Jude, however it’s undoubtedly a little bit of a homage to how nice he was.

“So far as [my previous number] 22 is worried, it’s a quantity I’ve worn and is a quantity that has lots of that means to me. In my coronary heart, I’m nonetheless a 22 however simply carrying 5 on the again.

“We’ll see what occurs sooner or later, however, proper now, I’m simply pleased to have been given the honour of carrying that quantity.”