Jude Bellingham’s hometown proud of the lad who practised so much he wore the grass out
Bellingham grew up in Hagley, a village near Stourbridge. He now lives in Germany, where he plays for Borussia Dortmund.
Back in the West Midlands, former neighbours, teachers and sports coaches remember him as a youngster always with his football.
“They used to set up the goals, put the cones down and play day and night,” one man tells The Independent.
The midfielder celebrates scoring England’s first goal in their rout of Iran
He also remembers what the small patch of grass down the road near Stourbridge, West Midlands, would look like afterwards.
There would be “big bare patches” left behind, the former neighbour, who did not want to be named, says.
Sarah, who lives on the same quiet residential street where Bellingham’s family used to live, remembers him as a boy “knocking on the door and wanting to play football” with her son. ”He was always with his brother. They were always together,” she adds.
Bellingham grew up near to the town of Stourbridge in the West Midlands
Another woman says Bellingham’s father, a retired police officer, was always “playing around with the ball” with him.
“He didn’t do anything else but play football,” another neighbour says about a young Bellingham.
Recommended
His former year 2 teacher agrees. “He was just really a lovely lad. Really genuine. Really personable. Extremely courteous and polite,” Suzanne Shackleton, who also used to work at Hagley Primary School, tells The Independent.
“He was really dedicated to everything he did, not just his sport and football. Across all areas of the curriculum he was well-motivated and tried hard with everything he did.”
Suzanne Shackleton taught Bellingham at primary school
Again, she remembers a lot of football. “You’d see him every playtime, lunchtime, playing football out on the playground with his friends.”
Mark Baker taught Bellingham cricket for a short spell while the teenager was already playing football at Birmingham City academy.
“He came in and tried to bowl quick and tried to hit the ball miles without really having played,” he tells The Independent, calling him a “raw talent”. He remembers the boy once diving to catch a ball in the air that most would not have bothered with.
Bellingham may now be in Qatar for the World Cup and living in Germany – but his success still means a lot to the people of Stourbridge.
A mural even popped up to the 19-year-old footballer outside a shopping centre next to a WHSmiths in the town earlier this year.
A Bellingham mural has been painted outside a shopping centre in Stourbridge
Clive Bucknall says he is “very pleased” to see the teenager in the England World Cup squad.
“I think most football fans in the Midlands will appreciate he is a local lad. We don’t get many,” the 75-year-old adds.
Lee Newman, who runs a record store in the town centre, says he believes Bellingham is on track to be the “biggest footballer in the world… which is amazing, considering he is from Stourbridge.”
Lee Newman says everyone from Stourbridge is proud of Bellingham
“Everyone feels really proud of him, even though we don’t know him,” the 36-year-old says. “It’s been a long time since I think Stourbridge has anybody of that level, even on a national level. This guy is full on worldwide.”
Manchester United legend Duncan Edwards, from nearby Dudley in the Black Country, tragically died in the Munich air disaster in 1958.
“That guy’s got a road named after him and everything,” Mr Newman from Record Culture says. “At some point, you’re going to have to name the ring road after Jude Bellingham or something like that.”
Register for free to continue reading
Registration is a free and easy way to support our truly independent journalism
By registering, you will also enjoy limited access to Premium articles, exclusive newsletters, commenting, and virtual events with our leading journalists
{{#verifyErrors}} {{message}} {{/verifyErrors}} {{^verifyErrors}} {{message}} {{/verifyErrors}}
By clicking ‘Create my account’ you confirm that your data has been entered correctly and you have read and agree to our Terms of use, Cookie policy and Privacy notice.
This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy policy and Terms of service apply.
Already have an account? sign in
By clicking ‘Register’ you confirm that your data has been entered correctly and you have read and agree to our Terms of use, Cookie policy and Privacy notice.
This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy policy and Terms of service apply.
Register for free to continue reading
Registration is a free and easy way to support our truly independent journalism
By registering, you will also enjoy limited access to Premium articles, exclusive newsletters, commenting, and virtual events with our leading journalists
{{#verifyErrors}} {{message}} {{/verifyErrors}} {{^verifyErrors}} {{message}} {{/verifyErrors}}
By clicking ‘Create my account’ you confirm that your data has been entered correctly and you have read and agree to our Terms of use, Cookie policy and Privacy notice.
This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy policy and Terms of service apply.
Already have an account? sign in
By clicking ‘Register’ you confirm that your data has been entered correctly and you have read and agree to our Terms of use, Cookie policy and Privacy notice.
This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy policy and Terms of service apply.
Source: Read Full Article