Jude Bellingham is taking the world by storm at Real Madrid but he is doing so without his signature number on the back of his shirt.
The now England star first rose to prominence at Birmingham City, coming through the academy and playing for the club aged 16.
3
Bellingham wore the No.22 shirt during that time and the Blues’ head of development has revealed how that number was decided.
Explaining how 22 came from adding the typical shirt numbers of all the midfield roles combined, Mike Dodds told talkSPORT 2: “Like most boys that age, they want to be a No.10.
“And I remember, we sat down with him and we said, we think you're doing yourself a disservice, we think you can do all of it.
"So we came up with, 'we think you can be a 22'. His eyes lit up and we knew we had hooked him from then on in!"
READ MORE ON BELLINGHAM
When the 20-year-old left Birmingham to join Borussia Dortmund, the number was retired in recognition of his time at the club.
He then took the 22 shirt at Dortmund, however, he decided to not wear the number after heading to Spain this summer.
Why does Bellingham not wear No.22 anymore?
Bellingham changed from wearing No. 22 after joining Real Madrid.
Antonio Rudiger already wears the number for the club meaning the shirt wasn’t available.
Most read in Football
So, he decided to take the iconic No.5 shirt at Los Blancos instead, leaving his usual digits behind.
Speaking in a press conference after arriving in Spain, Bellingham explained his decision to change.
He said: “I’ve said in many interviews how much I admire Zinedine Zidane, the legacy he’s had at the club with this number.
3
3
“I’m just trying to be Jude, but it’s definitely a bit of a homage to how great he was.
The midfielder hasn’t forgotten about the meaning of his No.22 though, and he mentioned that it is still his number despite not actually wearing it.
“The number 22 has a big meaning for me,” he explained.
“And in my heart, I’m still number 22, just with the number 5 on my back."