Real Madrid and England star Jude Bellingham has high expectations to match his talent and he will drive his coaches to deliver the best – and if they don’t, they will hear about it
Jude Bellingham has never been afraid to challenge his coaches and even once threatened to leave Birmingham after facing what he believed was unfair treatment. Such was his talent coming through the club’s academy, the England international would have teams loaded against him to provide a challenge.
Bellingham was involved with the Blues’ academy from the under-8 age group and broke into the team before seeing his shirt number retired when departing the club for Borussia Dortmund at 17. The midfielder has a domineering presence, and that has been true from the outset.
The Real Madrid superstar did not always appreciate some training methods which were specifically for his benefit. The youngster would become furious as his academy coaches stacked the odds against him, looking to push his talent forward.
Bellingham stopped speaking to academy coach Mike Dodds and even threatened to leave on another occasion, per the Telegraph. They remain in touch now, however.
“Even at that young age his desire to be the very, very best was something I’ve never, ever come across and I’m sure I’ll never, ever come across it again in my life,” Dodds said. “His desire to be the very best — it’s in every walk of his life.”
READ MORE: Middlesbrough send pointed three-word message after Rob Edwards exit finally confirmedREAD MORE: England boss Thomas Tuchel fires warning to Harry Kane, Jude Bellingham and Phil Foden
Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink, who was part of Gareth Southgate’s England coaching staff at the Euros in 2024, suggests that Bellingham will not simply accept what he is told if he has an issue.
The midfielder is not a ‘yes man’, a quality Hasselbaink admires. The ex-Borussia Dortmund ace can only get away with his interjections because he can deliver on the pitch.
“Oh, I loved him,” said the Dutchman. “He challenged you as a coach, but in the right way. He’s not a yes man, which I like. But then obviously, if you’re not a yes man, then you have to be able to back it up. And he does that.”
Thomas Tuchel will soon see that side of Bellingham after the Three Lions star returned to his squad after missing out on the previous two. The German coach will have difficulty accommodating his stars, with Bellingham and Phil Foden being selected, and challenging for the same spot in Tuchel’s system of choice.
He told talkSPORT: “They can but not in the structure, not for the balance that we developed and not for structure that comes also with wingers who are like specialists in their positions. We play at the moment with a six, eight, a 10 and a nine.
“Especially in the number 10 position if you think about Phil who could play there, if you think about Jude, you think about Morgan Rogers, who played fantastic for us in this position.
“You have Cole Palmer, you have Morgan Gibbs-White, so there’s a lot, a lot of players, and there’s the chance that we will not take everyone. I think Phil can play the nine, he can play the 10. It gives him, first of all, an advantage to compete for both positions. For Man City, he plays almost like an eight, 10, so maybe during the next months we consider him as an eight.
“But, like again, I see a very, very low percentage that we take five number 10s in the number 10 position into a tournament. I don’t see how this will help us.”
Join our new WhatsApp community and receive your daily dose of Mirror Football content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don’t like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you’re curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.
Sky Sports discounted Premier League and EFL package
Sky has slashed the price of its Essential TV and Sky Sports bundle ahead of the 2025/26 season, saving members £336 and offering more than 1,400 live matches across the Premier League, EFL and more.
Sky will show at least 215 live Premier League games next season, an increase of up to 100 more.
