Why Did Zidane Wear No.5 at Real Madrid? France Legend Reveals Shirt Choice Inherited By Jude Bellingham

Real Madrid legendary icon, Zinedine Zidane revealed why we wore No.5 which has been inherited by Jude Bellingham this season.

The England international, a longtime fan of Zidane, explained his decision to wear the famous No. 5 shirt that formerly belonged to the French legend, jokingly remarked that “there wasn’t much else left” to choose from. Interestingly, Zidane encountered the same situation upon moving from Juventus to Los Blancos in 2001, where he played as the number 21 at the back.

READ ALSO: Jude Bellingham Reveals Ballon D’or Dream

Lionel Messi brought up the No. 5 topic at a recent Adidas sponsor event.

The Argentine said, “It was strange to see another 10 wearing number 5.

Zidane then went on to reveal what happened behind the scenes that forced him to choose that number.

“Florentino Perez, the president, didn’t like the players wearing the numbers 25, 30, 35. He was from the old school. The number 1 for the goalkeeper and then up to number 10,” Zidane said.

“(Manolo) Sanchis had number 5 for Madrid, he left, and when I got there, the president told me ‘wouldn’t you like to have a number from 1 to 10?’ and we picked the number 5 because he didn’t want the 25, 30, 35, this is not football, it is American football, so in the end, I got number 5.”

During his five years with Real Madrid, Zidane won two Supercopa de Espana titles in 2001 and 2003 in addition to the La Liga, Champions League, UEFA Super Cup, and Intercontinental Cup. Bellingham’s role in the team gains symbolic weight as a result of his adoption of Zidane’s number, underscoring the club’s belief that the youthful midfield player will emulate the legendary Zidane. With 10 La Liga goals in just 11 outings, the 20-year-old has already exceeded his idol, at least by one metric. This is more than the 1998 World Cup champion ever scored in a season during his time as a player at the Santiago Bernabeu.

There are hints that Bellingham might return this weekend when Real Madrid plays Valencia in a La Liga match. Bellingham was rested following a near-injury scare in Wednesday’s Champions League match.