Golden Boy: The Rise and Rise of Jude Bellingham

Jude Bellingham's meteoric rise from Birmingham to Real Madrid showcases his unmatched talent and ambition.

A superstar, a role model, an inspiration. Even before his 21st birthday Jude Bellingham had proved to be all of those things after a stratospheric surge to the peak of world football. The Real Madrid and England hero has broken new ground on his path from the playing fields of the Midlands to the bright lights of the Bernabeu, a player marked out for greatness from a young age and one intent on devouring every opportunity with a hunger that has set him apart from his peers.

Named the 2023 Golden Boy as the undisputed best young player in Europe, Bellingham appears to be on an inexorable march towards the ultimate prize of the Ballon d’Or. But what sits behind the blistering ascent of football’s brightest rising star? How was the raw talent finessed, where does the burning desire to succeed come from? Hey Jude charts the story of a unique sporting talent through the eyes of those who have been beside him on the journey.

Exploring the wider issues surrounding Bellingham’s path from Birmingham to the Bundesliga and beyond, painting a candid portrait of life in the football hotbed of Madrid, it represents the first instalment in one of football’s most captivating success stories.Get ready for the Fifa 2026 World Cup!

Graeme Croser is an award winning sports writer with close to 25 years of experience in the regional and national press covering domestic, European and international action. The Napier University journalism graduate served with the Edinburgh Evening News before spending 19 years with the Scottish Mail on Sunday. A past winner of the Jim Rodger Memorial Award, recognising the work of Scotland’s best young sports writers, he serves on the committee of the Scottish Football Writers’ Association.