‘Genuinely special’ star ‘proved right’ for rejecting Man Utd

Matt Stead
Jadon Sancho celebrates his goal

Jude Bellingham has been ‘proved right’ for turning down Man United in favour of joining Borussia Dortmund.

Bellingham has been a revelation in the Bundesliga since leaving Birmingham last summer, starting in Champions League knockout games and making an impression on Gareth Southgate for England.

The 17-year-old had been courted by Man United but left them confused when he opted for Dortmund instead.

Watford captain Troy Deeney feels that decision has been fully justified already by a ‘genuinely special’ player.

‘When Jude Bellingham left Birmingham City, aged 16 and having made 44 first-team appearances, the club retired his No 22 shirt,’ he told the Sun on Sunday.

‘As a life-long Bluenose, I heard a fair bit of stick flying around about that decision.

‘And I had to admit I thought, ‘****ing hell, he’s only been playing for nine months!’

‘But when you see Bellingham now dictating games for Borussia Dortmund and looking so assured in the England midfield, you realise that this kid is genuinely special. He is absolute mustard.

‘Midway through last season, he was being strongly linked with Man United and I spoke to a couple of mates on the coaching staff at Birmingham about it.

‘I thought it might be a bit too soon for him to make such a massive move — but those guys who worked with him said: “Absolutely, 100 per cent, he would go to Man United and play straight away.”

‘In the end, Jude moved to Dortmund, deciding that youngsters are far more likely to start more big matches in the Bundesliga than in the Premier League.

‘The same route taken by another English kid, Jadon Sancho, who was in Watford’s academy as a schoolboy.

‘Both have been proved right.’

It was a chat with Sancho that actually persuaded him to move to Dortmund, unsurprisingly.