How old is England star Jude Bellingham and what is his record? The World Cup ace joined Borussia Dortmund against Manchester United despite meeting Sir Alex Ferguson

There is no doubt that Jude Bellingham is one of the most talented youngsters in the world and should be a key World Cup player for England.

The former Birmingham City man has consistently delivered special performances in midfield for Borussia Dortmund, including a few in the Champions League this year.

He has scored in four straight appearances in UEFA’s premier competition this season, and is now set to break onto the world stage and start in England midfield in Qatar.

Liverpool have been heavily linked with him but it looks like they could be beaten by Real Madrid, who are keen on the England international.

Considering he’s made over 100 senior appearances for Dortmund and feels like he’s been around for quite some time, it’s easy to forget just how young Bellingham still is.

How old is Jude Bellingham?

Incredibly, Bellingham is still a teenager and made his senior debut for Birmingham aged 16.

Birmingham later retired their number 22 shirt after leaving the club.

He made his Bundesliga debut aged 17 as Dortmund wasted no time in introducing him to senior football.

He was part of the Dortmund squad that won the German Cup in the 2020/21 season, when he broke Wayne Rooney’s long-standing Champions League goalscoring record earlier this year.

He is now 19 and turns 20 next summer, and barring injury he will almost certainly start for England in their World Cup opener against Iran on Monday.

So even though he is young, he has achieved so much.

Why didn’t Manchester United sign Bellingham?

Manchester United tried and failed to sign Bellingham twice while at Birmingham.

They made a first attempt when the midfielder was only 15, but they couldn’t agree a suitable deal and the player wanted to stick with the Blues.

They tried again in the summer of 2020 and did everything they could to get him in.

Bellingham received a guided tour of Carrington and met Sir Alex Ferguson.

But with Paul Pogba, Scott McTominay and Fred in United’s engine room, the teenager wasn’t sure he would get playing time.

Moreover, Dortmund have proven with Jadon Sancho that they are ready to give the youngsters a chance.

After signing for Dortmund, Bellingham revealed he was not considering a move to Old Trafford: “Well, you know Man United have a great team but my decision has nothing to do with Man United.

“I was so focused and so happy with Dortmund’s interest that it became my first choice.

“For me it was Borussia Dortmund and that’s it. When you find a good place to live, you kind of ignore everything else, you know what I mean?”

United certainly have to live to regret that one, and as Bellingham prepare to face Manchester City in the Champions League, Pep Guardiola has also been singing his praises.

In his pre-match press conference he said: “Borussia Dortmund is the perfect place for young talent.

“Maybe if Jude Bellingham was in England he would go to City, United, Liverpool, Chelsea, Arsenal or Tottenham, maybe he wouldn’t get the minutes. The best thing for a young player to be best is to play minutes.

“He was 17 when he arrived but it wasn’t just about his quality, the way he was leading, his kicking, going to the referee. This guy was something special in terms of mentality. He’s now 19 and he’s already one of the captains. The quality, everyone knows that. The whole thing is really good.”

Bellingham may still be young, but he has done so much and has the ability to achieve even more in what should be a long and successful career.