Real Madrid midfielder Jude Bellingham isn\u2019t scared by the weight of pressure of those that have come before him at the Bernabeu. In fact, he embraces it.<\/strong><\/p>\n Bellingham has exceeded even the expectations laid out by a \u20ac134m price tag,\u00a0breaking records belonging to Madrid legends Cristiano Ronaldo and Alfredo Di Stefano.<\/p>\n When the Englishman arrived in the Spanish capital, the obvious comparison was another great in Zinedine Zidane \u2013 Bellingham took over the number five shirt once worn by the 1998 Ballon d\u2019Or winner and three-time FIFA World Player of the Year.<\/p>\n Given that it is not a number typically worn by attacking players it stands out even more, just as it did when Zidane surprisingly took that shirt after his world record transfer to Madrid in 2001. Not only that,\u00a0Bellingham\u00a0also wears the same boots \u2013 the latest generation of the iconic adidas Predator.<\/p>\n \u201cZidane is one of the best midfielders in history. I hope to preserve the legacy of his number and his boots,\u201d Bellingham said this week, via\u00a0Marca<\/em>.<\/p>\n Zinedine Zidane joined Real Madrid in 2001 \/ PIERRE-PHILIPPE MARCOU\/GettyImages<\/p>\n \u201cFor what it means and the moment,\u00a0Zidane\u2019s volley\u00a0[against Bayer Leverkusen in 2002] is the first and best memory that comes to mind with these boots,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n Bellingham has a thirst for success that will be a good fit at\u00a0Real Madrid, the club that was won more European Cups (14) than anyone else \u2013 twice as many as the next best in the list. He recently won the Golden Boy for 2023, the first English player in nine years to do so, and admitted that two previous second place finishes were a chief motivation to finally get his hands on the award.<\/p>\n \u201cWinning trophies like the Golden Boy has come naturally,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n \u201cI had been second twice and the truth is that I didn\u2019t like it. You take it personally when you don\u2019t win. For me, it was about keeping pushing, keeping trying, and In the end I got it.\u201d<\/p>\n
\n![\"Zinedine](\"https:\/\/www.ghanamma.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/01hhjbpv7cx2wsga7vg2.jpg\" "\\"Zinedine")
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