It was three and a half years since Jude Bellingham made his first appearance at Wembley.
The then-Borussia Dortmund midfielder became the third youngest men's England international at 17 years and 136 days old, falling in behind Theo Walcott and Wayne Rooney on the all-time list when he featured as a second-half substitute in a behind-closed-doors friendly against the Republic of Ireland.
Even though the stadium was the same, the setting could scarcely be more different when Bellingham walked out into a cacophony of sound and colour in north-west London, charged with going to the well one more time in an incredible season as Real Madrid's difference maker.
By helping Los Blamcos to win the UEFA Champions League, he had to break the hearts of his former club Borussia Dortmund, where he grew up from boy wonder into the complete midfielder at a dizzying rate. Madrid winning a record-extending 15th European title, means Ballon d'Or glory could very well await Bellingham. A turbulent Euro 2024 with England did not harm his chances when the 30-man shortlist for October's Paris gala was announced.
It feels like an opportune time to spin back to where it all began. No one is laughing at Birmingham City's famous jersey gesture anymore.
MORE: Dortmund GOAT Marco Reus primed for Wembley farewell
Jude Bellingham career: When Birmingham retired his jersey
Bellingham broke into the first team at his boyhood club in the 2019/20 season, becoming the youngest player in their history at 16 years and 38 days old. Just 25 days later, he became their youngest ever goal scorer when he sealed a 2-1 win over Stoke City.
From that moment, he was a near ever-present, making 41 appearances in the Championship. It meant his path crossed with Rooney, who was playing for Derby County at the time.
"I played against Jude Bellingham when he was 16. I was at Derby and he was at Birmingham," he told Gary Neville's Overlap podcast. "He man-marked me; I was playing deep in midfield controlling the game and he man-marked me. I kept dragging him outside and he didn't like it. What I love about him is that when he goes in for a tackle, he leaves a mark on me, a bit like I would.
"I remember after the game thinking he would go far, but I never expected where he is now. Jude is a player who wants it, has the mentality, and wants to play every minute of every game."
His burgeoning reputation meant Bellingham had several significant suitors but Borussia Dortmund won the race for his signature, bringing the Englishman into a squad where his compatriot Jadon Sancho had enjoyed a spectacular couple of seasons after joining as a teenager from Manchester City.
In a move that was much-mocked at the time, Birmingham retired Bellingham's No. 22 jersey when his move to Signal Iduna Park went through.
"In such a remarkably short space of time Jude has become an iconic figure at Blues, showing what can be achieved through talent, hard work and dedication," a club statement read. "His caring, humble and engaging off-the-field demeanour has also made him such an impressive role model.
"The 22 shirt has become synonymous with Jude, his rise to the first team aged just 16 years and 38 days and these qualities. And as such the club have decided it would be fitting to retire this number, to remember one of our own and to inspire others."
How much did Dortmund pay for Bellingham?
The £25 million fee Birmingham received for their boy wonder was vital to a cash-strapped club and Bellingham's rapid rise continued at Dortmund.
Echoing his Birmingham breakthrough, any plans to ease Bellingham in gently were dispensed with when he got into the team and simply didn't leave. The teenager made 46 appearances across all competitions in 2020/21, including 10 in the Champions League.
His first goal in Europe's top competition came against Manchester City in the quarterfinals, although that side of his game remained largely under wraps as Bellingham's Dortmund apprenticeship came in the central and defensive midfield positions alongside the likes of Axel Witsel, Emre Can, Mahmoud Dahoud and Thomas Delaney.
A breakthrough into the England national team soon followed and Bellingham was key for Dortmund as they finished runners-up to Bayern Munich in the Bundesliga in 2021/22 and, heartbreakingly so, 2022/23.
Dortmund threw away the title on the final day of the campaign but Bellingham's performances were recognised as he was named Bundesliga Player of the Season. He had become the team's talismanic star following Erling Haaland's departure and was set to become his club's next major sale.
Bellingham breaks Ronaldo record at Real Madrid
Real Madrid signed Bellingham for an initial fee of around €103 million, earning Dortmund a huge profit on the player and Birmingham an extra £8m as part of a clause in his previous contract. It's already looking like a bargain.
Bellingham hit the ground running in La Liga with an incredible five goals in his first four games for Los Blancos, and he has continued to explode onto the European scene after that early stretch.
Carlo Ancelotti reformatted his team into a 4-4-2 diamond, with Bellingham at the top of the midfield, marauding into dangerous areas in between split forwards Rodrygo and Vinicius Junior. The prophecy behind his selection of the No. 22 shirt at Birmingham — coaches felt Jude could be a No. 4, a No. 8 or a No. 10 — was coming to pass in real time.
He scored four goals during the Champions League group stage as the 14-time winners cruised into the knockout phase.
Bellingham's 74th-minute goal in a 3-0 win over Cadiz on November 26 saw him move to 14 goals in 15 games for the club, beating Cristiano Ronaldo's club record for most goals in a player's first 15 games in the famous white shirt.
Jude Bellingham for Real Madrid in 2023/24
| Season | Competition | Games | Goals | Assists | Mins |
| 2023/24 | La Liga | 28 | 19 | 6 | 2,342 |
| 2023/24 | UEFA Champions League | 11 | 4 | 5 | 994 |
| 2023/24 | Copa del Rey | 1 | 0 | 1 | 120 |
| 2023/24 | Super Cup | 2 | 0 | 1 | 206 |
| TOTAL | 41 | 23 | 13 | 3,644 |
A final tally of 19 goals in La Liga made him the champions' top scorer. There were some huge goals during the run-in as he bagged a brace against high-flying Girona before bringing the house down at the Santiago Bernabeu with a stoppage-time winner against Barcelona on April 21 that all but sealed the title. That goal made him Madrid's all-time top-scoring Englishman, surpassing David Beckham and Laurie Cunningham.
During the Champions League triumphs over Manchester City and Bayern Munich, Bellingham was forced to take on a more prosaic role as Madrid were starved of possession for periods. Once again, this underlined the versatility that will continue to benefit club and country for years to come.
The most incredible of individual seasons was crowned by an assist for Vinicius' game-sealing goal against Dortmund. At the Euros, Bellingham and England reached the final on their wits, something never more apparent than when his overhead kick deep into stoppage time spared the Three Lions from elimination against Slovakia.
An early season injury in 2024/25 checked his progress, but a place on the Ballon d'Or podium surely awaits for Bellingham. The only question is which step.