Ex-Birmingham City Midfielder Jude Bellingham fires emotional statement after bombshell Real Madrid announcement
Former Birmingham City superstar Jude Bellingham has issued an emotional message to departing Real Madrid teammate Luka Modric on social media.
Following his final La Liga match for Los Blancos against Real Sociedad on Saturday, the Croat will travel to the United States with his team ahead of their Club World Cup opener against Al-Hilal on June 18.
The veteran playmaker – now aged 39 – has come to the end of his contract after signing a one-year extension last year. Modric, who moved to Real from Tottenham Hotspur in 2012, has been part of six Champions League-winning squad and has clinched a total of 28 trophies at the Santiago Bernabeu.
And Bellingham has paid tribute to Modric on Thursday with a lengthy post on his Instagram account.
“The only thing outweighing my sadness right now is the gratitude I feel for having had the honour of being your teammate,” he said.
“So many great memories on and off the pitch that I will treasure forever. Your magic was never a surprise and there’s nothing I can say that hasn’t already been said about your incredible achievements but your humility, openness and the time you took for every single person in any circumstance has blown me away, you’re a constant reminder of everything that is beautiful about football.
“Brate, from the bottom of my heart thank you for every pass (whether it was with the inside or outside), every dribble, every nutmeg and every shot but more meaningful to me every chat, every hug, every dinner and every piece of wisdom and advice that you gave.
“Good luck with whatever comes next for you and your family. Te quiero muchisimo! Te voy a extrañar! (I love you so much! I’m going to miss you).
“Madridistas, let’s break the roof off the Bernabeu with the tributes on Saturday for our captain!”
