Jude Bellingham hopes to help inspire the next generation of footballers to take up a sport that the teenage sensation surprisingly admits he did not like growing up.
The 19-year-old is one of the greatest talents in the world and was this week crowned Bundesliga player of the season after going agonisingly close to winning the title with Borussia Dortmund.
Bellingham has established himself as a key figure for country as well as club, shining in England’s run to the World Cup quarter-finals in Qatar during the winter.
But if it had not been for a light-bulb moment as a kid, things could have been so very different.
Despite regularly going to watch his father, Mark, score goals aplenty for non-league clubs around the Midlands, football initially sparked indifference rather than excitement in Bellingham.
“I just wasn’t really having it,” the England midfielder told the PA news agency.
“My dad would take me to his non-league games and over time it kind of clicked but it did take a while.
“I think it was frustrating for him for a while, but when it did I was addicted and I still am, thankfully.”
Bellingham cannot pinpoint the exact moment of football enlightenment but says his time at boyhood club Birmingham made him “fall in love with it”.
He fondly remembers the “wide-eyed happiness” he felt going to training at Blues – the same kind of joy he is now looking to bring to others.
Bellingham has joined McDonald’s Fun Football as an ambassador – a programme that provides free, inclusive football coaching for children aged five to 11 across more than 1,500 locations in the UK.
Speaking after his first taste of Fun Football, he said: “It was a pleasure for me to come here and play with the kids and have a kickabout with them and see what it’s all about.
“It’s obviously my first time experiencing the things that McDonald’s are doing and how they want to ensure everyone has the opportunity to get into football.
“For me, it’s so important because the game is showing that it’s becoming more inclusive.
“You know, what the (England) women did last year (winning the Euros) kind of put women’s football on the map essentially, and you had such a great mix of boys and girls today from whatever backgrounds.
“They all just come and have a great time and they’re playing. When they’re having fun and laughing, that puts a smile on my face and is exactly what it is all about.”
Bellingham feels “a lot of pride” knowing he can “make an impact on the next generation” and spent time signing autographs and posing for photos long after the session.
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Steven Gerrard and Wayne Rooney were the kind of players he idolised growing up and the teenager finds it surreal to now be the subject of similar adulation.
“Days like today are really humbling, to be honest,” Bellingham said. “You come in and there’s people with your shirt on and they know who you are straightaway, and they can’t wait to play football with you.
“I think, for me, it’s a feeling that’s priceless to be honest. You do what you do on the pitch and you hope that people enjoy watching it but their love for you is so genuine, it’s so pure.
“They really enjoy being around you, not because they want something because it’s just a fun day for them. I wanted to repay that and make sure that they had as much fun as possible but, yeah, it’s all come very fast.
“It still feels a bit surreal but I’m trying to enjoy it one day at a time.”
:: Jude Bellingham was speaking at a McDonald’s Fun Football session to announce his role as an ambassador for the UK’s largest grassroots participation programme for 5-11 year-olds. Find your nearest free session at www.mcdonalds.co.uk/football.
'Super simple' – Lille president rules out January exit for Jonathan David
Lille president Olivier Letang has categorically ruled out a January exit for forward Jonathan David amid links with a number of European clubs.
David is out of contract at the end of the season and has been touted as a target for the likes of Bayern Munich, Juventus and Barcelona.
Speaking this week, the Canada international named Barcelona as his "dream" club but suggested he would prefer not to leave Lille mid-season.
And in an interview with After Foot RMC, Letang confirmed no bids have yet been tabled ahead of the January window.
"We are not going to sell him in January, and we have not received any offer for him," he said.
"Jonathan's situation is super simple. We are very happy to have him with us.
"Last season he had one more year left on his contract. We were trying to qualify for the Champions League.
"You have a guy who scores 20 to 25 goals a season. We had no obligation to sell him."
David is into his fifth season with Lille and has scored 97 goals in 202 games for the Ligue 1 side in all competitions while assisting a further 18.
Seven of those goals have arrived in 11 appearances this term, including in Champions League games against Real Madrid, Atletico Madrid and Juventus.
The 24-year-old's best league season with Lille saw him score 24 goals in 2022-23, while he has netted 19, 15 and 13 in the other full campaigns.
Lille chief Letang reiterated that David has been offered a new deal to stay on at Stade Pierre-Mauroy, but selling him has never been an option.
"He is a player who scores between 20 and 25 goals and helps us qualify for the Champions League," he said.
"Plus, Jonathan loves Lille, which is his club. Our position was very clear from the beginning – we think of the athlete.
"Obviously, he already has an offer that is in his hands, the ball is in his court."
Guardiola suggests Man City's recent form played part in signing new contract
Pep Guardiola suggested Manchester City's run of four successive defeats was part of the reason for his contract extension.
The 53-year-old recently signed a two-year deal, which will run out in 2027, ending months of speculation about his future after his contract had been due to run out at the end of the campaign.
Following a 2-1 defeat to Brighton before the international break, Guardiola's side have lost each of their last four matches in all competitions for the first time in his managerial career.
"I felt I could not leave now. Maybe the four defeats was why," he told the club's website.
"I think we deserve, after four defeats in a row, to bounce back and try to turn the situation. I think we deserve to be here. I am not arrogant to say, but it's the truth."
Guardiola has led Manchester City to 18 major trophies during his nine-year stint at the club and posted a 72% win ratio.
He added that he was determined to help the club get back to a state where they are "more stable and more consistent".
"We have to recover that because right now we don't have it and that's the target we have to do," he said.
City chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak added: "Like every City fan, I am delighted that Pep's journey with Manchester City will continue, allowing his dedication, passion and innovative thinking to continue to shape the landscape of the game.
"His hunger for improvement and success remains insatiable and the direct beneficiaries of that will continue to be our players and coaching staff, the culture of our club, and the English game at large."
Leicester's Fatawu ruled out for rest of season with ACL injury
Leicester City manager Steve Cooper confirmed Abdul Fatawu will miss the rest of the season.
The 20-year-old sustained an anterior cruciate ligament injury (ACL) while playing for Ghana against Angola during the international break.
Fatawu has featured in all 11 of Leicester's Premier League matches so far this season and has registered two assists.
No Leicester player has attempted (61) or completed (29) more dribbles than him, while his 30 crosses is also a team-high in the top-flight this season.
"It's not good, it's a serious injury," said Cooper ahead of their match against Chelsea on Saturday.
"It's a real blow, first and foremost for him, being a young player and having an injury as serious as what an ACL is.
"Albeit, it can be quite common in sport, and in particular football, but it's still a serious injury.
"For it to happen at a young age is a blow for him and a blow for us as well.
"He's obviously a big talent and a young player, as exciting as he can be at his age, with lots to learn.
"It's only a pause, and we will make sure, as difficult as it is at the moment for him, that he comes back being a stronger player and person, which, with the mentality and character that he has, I think will be the case."
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