Jude Bellingham opens up on 'hero' Steven Gerrard and Liverpool links - 'Wasn’t as close as people made out'
Updated 27/11/2024 at 08:54 GMT
Jude Bellingham has revealed that any talk of a move to Liverpool during the 2023 summer transfer window "wasn’t as close as people made out". Instead, the midfielder sealed a big move to Real Madrid, who take on the Premier League leaders in a blockbuster UEFA Champions League clash on Wednesday, live on TNT Sports and discovery+. Bellingham has also played down talk of a "crisis" at Madrid.
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Jude Bellingham has opened up on his potential move to Liverpool in 2023, when he could have followed in the footsteps of his "hero" Steven Gerrard.
The Madrid superstar will step out at Anfield in the UEFA Champions League on Wednesday as Carlo Ancelotti's side face unbeaten Liverpool - live on TNT Sports and discovery+.
Despite the strong links to the Merseyside club last year before he eventually sealed a move to Los Blancos, Bellingham admitted that any potential move "wasn’t as close as people made out in the media".
"Maybe they led people on a little bit in terms of that," Bellingham joked to TNT Sports.
"When Madrid came knocking I felt like that was the perfect club for me.
"Steven Gerard is a massive hero of mine. It would be nice to have a Steven Gerrard-esque performance tomorrow, but it will be very difficult, so we’ll see."
On whether there could be an appetite to move to Liverpool in the future, the England midfielder added: "I’m very happy at Madrid. I think the next 10, 15 years will be in white for me."
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Madrid 'Crisis' is 'not the worst situation in the world'
Liverpool have won all four of their matches in the Champions League so far, and sit top of the league phase table following wins over AC Milan, Bologna, RB Leipzig and Bayer Leverkusen.
It has been a contrasting start to the European campaign for defending champions Madrid, who have already lost twice and face an uphill battle if they are to secure an automatic place in the round of 16.
Last time out in the Champions League they were beaten 3-1 at home to Milan, which followed a heavy 4-0 defeat to Barcelona in La Liga.
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But since then, Madrid have closed the gap on La Liga leaders Barca with convincing back-to-back wins against Osasuna and Leganes - with Bellingham finding the net on both occasions.
"In the last couple of games, we’ve started to pick it up again," Bellingham said on Madrid's recent form.
"Before that, we’d had a couple of poor results and everyone talks about a crisis, but we don’t really see it like that.
"I think if being in a crisis means you’re four points behind with a game in hand [in La Liga] and then in the Champions League still fighting as well, then it’s not the worst situation in the world to be in.
"As players, you’re always a bit more relaxed about that sort of thing."
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