Why Birmingham City retired Jude Bellingham’s shirt number – and what the England ace had to say about it

Birmingham City became the laughingstock of world football when they retired Jude Bellingham’s shirt in 2020 – nobody’s laughing now.

The Blues took the unusual step of retiring Bellingham’s number 22 shirt after he joined Borussia Dortmund after one season in the club’s first team. Bellingham made just 44 first-team appearances for the Blues after becoming the club’s youngest ever player.

The news went viral and 17-year-old Bellingham was even surprised by the gesture. Four years on, no one has taken Bellingham’s No.22 jersey away at St Andrew’s.

“To be honest, I probably don’t deserve it, as far as my performances on the field,” Bellingham told The Times. “I felt they were good, but the level you have to reach to get your shirt retired is very high. “As I always say, it’s not retired, it’s reserved for when I come back and hopefully take them to the Premier League.”

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Bellingham has since become a talismanic figure for England, with whom they hope to win Euro 2024, and for Real Madrid. Bellingham helped Los Galacticos win a La Liga and Champions League double in his first season in Spain, scoring 23 goals and registering 11 assists in 43 games.

Explaining their decision to retire number 22 in 2020, a Blues statement said: “In a remarkably short space of time, Jude has become an iconic figure at the Blues, showing what can be achieved through talent, hard work and dedication . His caring, humble and engaging demeanor off the field made him such an impressive role model.

“The 22 shirt has become synonymous with Jude, his rise to the first team aged just 16 years and 38 days and those qualities. And as such, the club decided it would be appropriate to retire this number, to remember one of our own and to inspire others.

“Ahead of his last game, the club held a private celebration for people close to Jude’s development. It was an opportunity for all to come together and acknowledge the help and support Jude has had from everyone at the Blues, particularly the academy, and provide him with another fitting farewell memory.

“Throughout the drawn-out transfer process that eventually made Jude the most expensive 17-year-old in the world, he remained focused and totally committed to the Blues cause, which showed the importance of having a family behind him who supports them”.