Borussia Dortmund star Jude Bellingham has sensationally claimed he has unfinished business at Birmingham City – and hopes to return to the club at some point with a purpose to help win them promotion to the Premier League. The England midfielder got here through the academy on the Blues before leaving for Germany back in 2020.
During his time within the Bundesliga he has developed into one of the crucial talented young midfielders in Europe, and is now being courted by most of the elite clubs, reportedly including Liverpool and Real Madrid.
But speaking in an interview with The Times, the 18-year-old admitted his heart still lies at St Andrew’s – and he expressed a desire to at some point return to where all of it began for him as he discussed the club’s surprise decision to retire his No.22 shirt. “If I’m honest, I probably don’t deserve it, by way of my performances on the pitch,” he said.
“I felt like they were good, but the extent you will have to achieve to get your shirt retired may be very high. As I all the time say, it’s not retired but reserved for when I am going back and, hopefully, take them to the Premier League.”
Bellingham is prone to spend at the least yet one more season at Dortmund before moving on to pastures recent. But he won’t be joined by his lethal striker team-mate Erling Haaland, who has agreed a deal to affix Manchester City in the summertime.
Reacting to the news of Haaland’s departure, Bellingham continued: “I spoke with him after it was announced and told him I used to be really completely satisfied for him, that he was capable of fulfil the subsequent step of his journey and his dream as a footballer.
“Obviously he is an excellent player but in addition an excellent lad, and that’s one in all the things I’ll miss probably the most — the vibe he brings to the changing room, the best way he’s with the players. A extremely good character to have, a winner. City are really lucky to get a player like that.
“Should you take a look at the best way he impacts games together with his goals and, even when he doesn’t have the ball, when teams play against him they drop five or ten yards deeper, so it gives players like me the time on the ball to be expressive. Fiddling with him is admittedly fun and I’m going to miss it next 12 months.”
Dortmund play their final game of the season on Saturday after they tackle Hertha Berlin, with Haaland prone to be given a raptuous reception as he bids farewell to his home supporters.
