Jude Bellingham’s favourite teammates! Ballon d’Or Kopa winner credits his career to father who gave up his policing job to manage his career and mother who moved to Germany to be at his side (and his younger brother is destined for football glory too)

• The 20-year-old Real Madrid star is incredibly close to his family 
• READ MORE: Jude Bellingham WINS Kopa award at the 2023 Ballon d’Or just days after the 20-year-old Real Madrid superstar scored twice in his first El Clasico appearance against Barcelona on Saturday 

As Jude Bellingham accepted the Kopa award at the Balon d’Or ceremony last night, he thanked his parents and his brother for always offering him support.

The Real Madrid striker, 20, thanked his current and former clubs for their support in helping him in his career so far, but concluded by ‘most importantly’ thanking his family.

Addressing his mother Denise and father Mark, who were at the ceremony, and fellow footballer brother Jobe back in the UK, he said: ‘Thank you for all the support, it means a lot.’

Stourbridge-born Bellingham has long praised his parents for being his rock over the years, with Mark acting as his manager, while he described Denise as his ‘queen’.

And as 18-year-old Jobe begins his career at Sunderland FC, the brothers manage to enjoy down time together on holidays and when Jude comes back to the UK for family visits.

Jude Bellingham, 20, thanked his parents, Mark and Denise, and his little brother Jobe for their support so far in his career as he accepted the Kopa trophy at the Ballon d’Or Awards in France last night

Denise, as well as Mark, have acted as a grounding force for the midfield star while his early career has rocketed off to the heights of world football.

‘The role my mum is playing is massive. I think at the minute it is probably the biggest role of anyone, even probably more than my coaches and managers, to be honest,’ he said in December.

In 2020, Bellingham signed for Borussia Dortmund for £22.5million following a breakout season with Championship and boyhood side Birmingham City.

Already loved so much by the Birmingham club and the wider city, Bellingham had his shirt number 22 retired despite just playing 44 games for the club in a fledgling career.

Jude, 20, is incredibly close to his mother Denise, 54, his father Mark, 47, and his 18-year-old brother Jobe

In 2020, Denise, whom Jude describes as a ‘queen’, moved out to Germany with her son when he signed for Borussia Dortmund

Denise, as well as Mark, have acted as a grounding force for the midfield star while his early career has rocketed off to the heights of world football 

Jude and his younger brother Jobe are incredibly close, with the 18-year-old younger sibling playing for Sunderland FC

But Birmingham’s love and admiration for Bellingham is understandable after standing out as one of England’s best players in last year’s World Cup.

A bridge in Birmingham is even set to be named after the break-out star.

But when others could have lost their head and fallen off track by the plaudits and glory, Bellingham has kept focus thanks to his parents.

Denise, who works in human resources, and his father Mark a former police sergeant and non-league footballer, were sure to keep their son grounded.

In 2020, when Denise moved with Bellingham to Germany, she left behind Mark, who stayed with Jobe.

Both Bellingham and his mum Denise still live in a flat together, where she makes his bed and sometimes drives him to training.

Denise also manages her son’s financial affairs, allowing him to focus on football and not become distracted by the prestige and greed that can derail the careers of many young footballers.

But Bellingham also owes much of his success on the pitch to his father Mark, a retired non-league footballer.

Although Bellingham admitted he later grew to idolise the likes of Wayne Rooney, it was Bellingham senior’s action on the pitch that made him his first footballing hero.

Parents Mark and Denise were on side to cheer on Bellingham when during England’s victory over Senegal at the World Cup last year

Jude was the youngest player ever to make a debut for Birmingham City’s senior team at just 16. He is pictured with his brother and parents signing the contract

Denise Bellingham (left), Jude Bellingham (second left), Jobe Bellingham (second right) and Mark Bellingham on the red carpet prior to the BBC Sports Personality of the Year Awards 2021

Mark scored more than 700 goals in around 900 appearances, earning him the prestige of an English non-league Pelé.

He juggled stints at clubs including Leamington, Stourbridge and Sutton Coldfield Town with his day job as a sergeant with West Midlands Police.

Their father hung up his boots at the age of 41 in 2017 and is believed to have retired from the police. He declines to discuss his son’s achievements.

Jude told The Guardian in 2020 how his mother Denise took him to watch his father play: ‘It’s where I started to get that love for football. I think you can see in the way I play that I’ve watched the game from a young age.

‘That non-league style of toughness and being gritty when you need to be… I do think that comes from watching my dad play – even though he never tackled!’

Leamington FC chairman Jim Scott described Jude’s father as a ‘goal machine’, adding: ‘He was in great demand, a good player who was extremely dedicated, particularly when you consider his demanding career. [He] could have played at a higher level. You can see where Jude gets his talent from.’

Speaking about his dad to the FA in an interview, 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 that he played and the atmosphere, it made me fall in love with football so he was probably my first hero.

‘After the first few times of going, I’d start to pay a bit more attention to the games and stuff, the atmosphere and he’s scoring goals so you see him celebrating and stuff like that – you want that to be me.

‘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.’

As for Jobe, Jude is close with his younger sibling and the pair often appear on each other’s Instagram accounts.  

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