J. Bellingham was already the player Richie Kyle expected to go all the way. Kyle said the England midfielder was a “freak” at 16 and could become one of the most successful players in English football history.
That view came from a coach who saw him up close with Kevin Betsy at Under-17s level until Covid hit. Bellingham had already broken into Birmingham City’s senior squad in 2019, at 16, before Borussia Dortmund signed him in 2020 and Real Madrid took him in July 2023 for an initial €103m (£88.3m).
Richie Kyle on J. Bellingham
“Jude is one of the most unique players I have ever come across,” Kyle said. “But Jude was a man beyond his years at 16.” He added: “I have always found that communicating is becoming less and less due to social media and due to technology, but Jude was just a freak; it was like speaking to a 28-year-old sometimes.”
Kyle also pointed to what happened after games. “Even when we were doing reviews after games, he would stand up and tell the group what we should have done and how we can improve.” That detail matches the wider picture of a teenager already behaving like a senior player while still in age-group football.
Birmingham City to Real Madrid
The rise itself was fast. Bellingham made 44 appearances for Birmingham City before moving on, then became the world’s third most-expensive teenager when he joined Real Madrid. At Madrid, he has already won the Champions League and La Liga.
Kyle said the talent was obvious at every stop. “He had the athleticism to get box-to-box, and every tournament that we went to there were European scouts looking at Jude and other players as well, but Jude was always the one who stood out and you thought would get to the top.”
England and what comes next
Before England’s last-16 World Cup game against Mexico, Bellingham had two goals and an assist. Kyle said that was never the surprise; the timing was. “It was more a case of how quick he would get there, and I wasn’t surprised he got to Real Madrid as quickly as he did.”
He closed by saying there is more to come. “Do I think there is more to come? I have total faith in his ability and he could be one of the most successful players in the history of English football if he wants to be.”
