Jude Bellingham call wrote Pep Clotet into Birmingham City folklore

Jude Bellingham call wrote Pep Clotet into Birmingham City folklore

When Pep Clotet offered Jude Bellingham, then 16 years old, his professional debut, he made history for Birmingham City.

There were few accomplishments during the Spanish coach’s brief tenure with the Blues.

When the 47-year-old took over in June 2020, he managed 47 games at St. Andrew’s before leaving 13 months later.

Birmingham was 20 points behind sixth-place Swansea City and two points above relegation at the end of the season.

In many ways, the campaign wasn’t all that noteworthy, but there was one crucial event that will shape the team’s future.

Pep Clotet offers Jude Bellingham his debut

Bellingham was only sixteen when Clotet threw him into the side without hesitation.

For many fans, a 3-0 loss to League One’s Portsmouth in the EFL Cup was not a memorable outcome.

However, only weeks before making his league debut, the teenager earned his manager’s faith by playing 80 minutes and immediately entering the starting lineup.

In the final moments of the Blues’ 3-0 away loss against Swansea City on August 25, Bellingham came off the bench.

A first goal for the club came very shortly afterward in his next appearance for the Blues, coming off the bench in the first half of a 2-1 victory over Stoke City to bag his first-ever professional goal.

His 76th-minute strike turned around the scoreline to give Clotet’s side the advantage, their third victory of the campaign.

The England international ultimately contributed four goals and two assists from 41 appearances in the league, playing a crucial role in their survival in the Championship.

It was no surprise when speculation began over his future shortly afterward, leading to a move to Borussia Dortmund in the summer of 2020.

Jude Bellingham’s impact on Birmingham

Despite significant interest from several teams, Bellingham was sold to Dortmund for £25 million, according to Sky Sports.

During his time in Germany, the young player continued to grow and excelled, starting his journey to superstardom with strong Bundesliga and Champions League performances.

Before joining Real Madrid in a historic deal that reputedly brought Birmingham an additional eight-figure profit, he made a name for himself as a regular for England.

In addition to putting the Blues back on the map, Bellingham’s rise from the academy has drawn a lot of attention to the team’s other young players, like as his younger brother Jobe, who currently plays for Sunderland.

Although Clotet wasn’t a particularly good Birmingham manager, he made sure that his name would live on in the club’s history by trusting a 16-year-old midfielder. While fans won’t recall much from that season, they will remember how exciting Bellingham was and how Clotet gave him that opportunity in the team. The significance of that 3-0 loss to Pompey wasn’t immediately apparent at the time, but Bellingham and Clotet have made sure it is now a historic one.

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