Jude Bellingham explains decision to wear No.5 at Real Madrid

Real Madrid midfielder Jude Bellingham says he would be wearing the club’s number 5 jersey hoping to create a name for himself.

The 19-year-old chose to wear the jersey number after he was given permission by Jesus Vallejo, who has now opted for the No.24.

Madrid’s jersey No.5 was previously worn by Zinedine Zidane, someone Bellingham has admired from his childhood.

Quizzed about whether the Frenchman was the rationale behind his decision to wear the same number, the England international said: “I have said in many interviews how much I admire Zinedine Zidane.”

“The legacy within the club and this number. I am not trying to be the same as him, I am just trying to be Jude, but it is definitely a bit of a homage to how great he was.

“As far as [my previous number] 22 is concerned, it is a number I have worn and is a number that has a lot of meaning to me. In my heart, I am still a 22 but just wearing five on the back.

“We will see what happens in the future, but, right now, I am just happy to have been given the honour of wearing that number.”

During his days at Birmingham City and Borussia Dortmund, the teenager wore the No.22 at the back with the former deciding to retire the jersey number following his transfer to the German side.