Birmingham Phoenix investor Jude Bellingham has reached incredible heights in his career as a professional footballer, winning the Champions League and La Liga with Real Madrid and reaching two EUROs finals with England, but he still holds memories of playing cricket as a child near to his heart.
The 22-year-old was yesterday revealed as an investor in Birmingham Phoenix, the city’s The Hundred franchise, taking a 1.2% minority shareholding alongside Warwickshire County Cricket Club (50.4%) and affiliates of Knighthead Capital Management (48.4%).
Despite his achievements on the football pitch, Bellingham still enjoys settling in to watch an afternoon of cricket and has fond memories of playing cricket as a youngster alongside his brother, Jobe, who is also a footballer for Borussia Dortmund in Germany.
“I remember a lot growing up playing more,” he said. “It was something that we were passionate about. Especially in the summer when we were off from football. We had a long summer of playing cricket. I remember doing the school trials a few years, getting into the team. When we’d get home, because I’d then got in the team and wanted to practice with Jobe, we’d get the stumps out and play on the same patch of grass that we sometimes turn into Wembley.”
“It was a great upbringing that I had in football and cricket. I’m still so passionate about the both.
“As I’ve got older, I’ve been able to understand the game a bit more and watch it on the TV, it’s what I watch when the football’s not on really. I enjoy the Test Matches the most when I can watch it throughout the whole day, when training finishes and I can get back to watching it in the afternoon. It was a perfect blend of when I got the opportunity to get involved I didn’t really think twice about it and now I’m so happy to be on board.”
Growing up in Stourbridge and plying his trade in Birmingham in his early years has, Bellingham believes, instilled values in him which he stands by in day-to-day life.
“I carry my values with me in everything I do,” he said. “I think it’s not just the way you talk or the accent you have, it’s the values that you take from Birmingham for me. In my case, I always felt like Birmingham was a place where everyone wanted to see everyone do well. It was a place where I was lucky enough to grow up and people would push you to want to be better than you were or the best.
“It wasn’t like other areas that I’ve been to where it’s very cutthroat and a bit ruthless. I just find that everyone cares for one another really well.
“I want to kind of show people, show the world, that where I come from is an amazing place with amazing values. Sometimes I get it wrong and that’s part of being a Brummie as well. For me, it’s a huge honour to represent Birmingham on the world stage and it’s something that I don’t take lightly. I want to keep doing it the right way so my people back home are proud of me.”