ENGLAND footballing hero Jude Bellingham, who hails from Stourbridge, made time in his busy schedule to meet young sporting stars at a footballing academy in the town.
Real Madrid midfielder, Jude who played for Stourbridge Juniors before joining Birmingham City as a youngster, met young players and parents at one of the McDonald’s fun football sessions hosted by Kixx Stourbridge football academy on the Lea Vale playing fields in Norton on Wednesday September 13.
Bellingham, who was signed up by Spain's Real Madrid in June after a three-year stint at Germany’s Borussia Dortmund, became one of the most talked about players after scoring the first goal in England’s successful first match against Iran in the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
His top performance also later scored him a transfer to Real Madrid where he hopes to follow in the footsteps of some of football’s greatest players.
Tipped to become England’s captain by the time he’s 25, Bellingham, who turned 20 this summer, is also an ambassador for McDonald's Fun Football programme - the largest grassroots programme in the UK for five to 11-year-olds.
And as part of his role, he revisited his former home town where his achievements have been honoured with a giant mural on the side of the Ryemarket shopping centre.
Kixx Stourbridge said of the event on their Facebook page: “Wow! What an experience this was!
“As part of the launch of the local McDonalds fun football programme which starts this weekend Jude Bellingham came down to get involved with a fun football session for the children in Stourbridge.
“Some of our Kixx superstars even got to meet him. I’m not sure who was more excited the kids, coaches or some of the parents!
“What a gentleman he was, so much time for everyone in what must be a very busy schedule.”
Among the young sporting stars who got to meet the footballing legend was Hob Green Primary School pupil Archie-James Smith.
The football mad six-year-old from Amblecote was over the moon at getting to meet his hero.
His proud mom Kirsty Reanne told the News: “Archie was so excited.
“We are a football family and I absolutely love being a football mom so I must say I was a bit star struck too.”
She said Archie and his two-year-old sister Marnie-Rey had their pictures taken with Jude as well as getting the star’s autograph and she described the sporting icon as “the most down to earth and kind guy”.
She added: “I love the fact he sticks to his roots and where he grew up, he really did have all the time in the world for every single child there. It was such an amazing experience. If it wasn’t for his coach we wouldn’t have been there so a massive thank you to them for letting Archie have the best experience ever.”
She said Archie couldn’t wait to tell his friends at school about it and she added: “It is honestly a moment he will treasure forever.”
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