Madrid [Spain], June 15 : English midfielder Jude Bellingham reflected on how the iconic French midfielder Zinedine Zidane's legacy and his number 5 have become a source of inspiration for him.
Bellingham became the latest member of Real Madrid's star-studded midfield roster on Wednesday. He will wear the number 5 jersey, just like Zidane did during his time with Madrid in 2001.
In his first press conference for the club, he revealed how he admires Zidane and the legacy that he left behind.
"I really admire Zidane and the legacy he has at this club with the number 5. It's a number that inspires me," said the new Real Madrid player as quoted by RealMadrid.com.
He also went on to reveal that joining Los Blancos was the proudest moment of his life.
"Thank you for joining me on the proudest day of my life, the day I joined the greatest football club in the history of the game," Bellingham said as quoted by Sky Sports
"There are a lot of people to thank for getting me to this point - Borussia Dortmund and Birmingham City, the people that worked there."
"Also the bosses here (at Real Madrid); president (Florentino Perez), Juni Calafat (scout), Jose Angel (chief executive).
"Of course, most importantly, my family for all of the support and making the deal as easy as possible, so thank you very much and finally, Hala Madrid," Bellingham added.
Jude, who will be celebrating his 20th birthday on June 29, leaves Dortmund after three seasons. He was also named the 'Bundesliga Player of the Year' in Dortmund's recently-concluded campaign. He scored 12 goals for the club in 92 appearances.
In a farewell statement on the Dortmund website, Bellingham was quoted as saying by Sky Sports: "Thank you to everyone at BVB and to the fans for everything over the past three years."
"It has been an honour to wear your jersey so many times, in big and small moments. Even though I look forward to my next destination, I will never forget the journey there. Once Borussia always Borussia. All the best for the future," he concluded.
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