has enjoyed a glorious start to his career following his .
Unfazed by playing for arguably the biggest club on the planet, the 20 year-old sensation has , even breaking the record of the great Alfredo Di Stefano for the .
Bellingham’s meteoric rise at such an early age has been nurtured every step of the way by his parents Mark and Denise.
In what was surely one of the proudest moments in their lives, both stood alongside the star – who will be part of the Three Lions squad for – as he was officially unveiled by the Spanish giants last summer.
And with mum and dad keeping their son’s feet firmly on the ground, there is no reason why Bellingham cannot upgrade his recent Kopa Trophy – awarded to the best U21 player in the world – to the one day in the future.
Who is Jude Bellingham’s dad?
Bellingham’s dad, Mark, is a former sergeant with West Midlands Police.
Mark combined his police duties with a 25 year-career in semi-professional football, turning out for a whole host of teams on the Midlands football scene.
Mark, who played as a striker, was a prolific goalscorer having found the back of the net over 700 times across spells with 23 different clubs.
His incredible record of 61 goals for Stourbridge in 2005/06 still stands to this very day, with his landmark 700th goal arriving whilst playing for Midland League Division Two side Paget Rangers.
Despite his record in front of goal, Mark never quite managed to make it into professional football – although it certainly wasn’t down to a lack of effort.
‘I don’t know how he did it,’ Jason Cadden, who managed him at Leamington in 2009, said.
‘In evening games, the full-time whistle would blow and you’d see Mark sprint off. He’d jump in the shower, get in his car and start his police shift at 10pm.’
And it was that dedication and hard work which clearly rubbed off on his son, who as a little boy watched on from the side of the pitch in awe of his father’s achievements.
Discussing the role his dad played in his upbringing, Bellingham said: ‘We talk about footballing heroes, and my dad was like my first.
‘When you go and watch him play every week in non-league, you know it’s not the Premier League or anything, but seeing the way he played and the atmosphere, it made me fall in love with football so he was probably my first hero.
‘Growing up, he’d always give me tips on what I could do and now it gets to a certain age and it sort of flips and that’s brilliant because we have that sort of relationship like father and son and then as I got older, like coach and player.’
Mark paid tribute to the man Bellingham has grown into when he scooped the Kopa Trophy in October’s Ballon d’Or ceremony, saying: ‘Kopa 2023 award for a good kid who’s growing into a good man.’
Who is Jude Bellingham’s mum?
When Bellingham signed for Borussia Dortmund from boyhood club Birmingham City aged just 17 in 2020, Denise, who works in HR, headed to Germany alongside her son to help him settle into his new life.
Bellingham even let slip whilst on World Cup duty with England in 2022 that his mum still makes his bed – something that did not get lost on his Three Lions colleagues.
But aside from the lightheartedness, Bellingham has also opened up on the importance of his mother’s devotion.
‘The role my mum is playing is massive,’ Bellingham said at his Real Madrid unveiling, which was attended by both parents.
‘I think at the minute it is probably the biggest role of anyone, even probably more than my coaches and managers, to be honest.’
Denise was on the move once again with the midfielder after he signed for Madrid, heading to the Spanish capital despite the fact that Mark stayed behind in the UK to look after younger son Jobe, who is making waves playing for Sunderland in the Championship.
Bellingham’s immense stardom in Spain has also seen Denise thrust into the spotlight, with Madrid fans caught on video mobbing the player as he went on a shopping trip with his mum.
Denise was even on hand to help Bellingham get ready to collect the Kopa Trophy last year, with a behind-the-scenes video posted by Real Madrid showing her helping him into his swanky Louis Vuitton suit.
As Denise fiddled with his bow tie, Bellingham could be heard saying: ‘All them people are so mature, I can’t even get changed on my own. My life’s a lie.’
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