IMAGO / Nicolo Campo

Jesus Vallejo Revealed What Jude Bellingham Said After Taking His No. 5 Jersey

Originally posted on Real Madrid CF on SI
By Jordan Merritt | Last updated Jul 17, 2025 11:37 AM ET

Real Madrid center-back Jesus Vallejo is the latest player to depart the club after his contract came to an end. The 28-year-old has been at the club since 2015, signing from Real Zaragoza as a teenager. He could never fully break into the team, going out on loan several times during that time.

Vallejo has signed for Albacete, who play in the Segunda División, hoping to get plenty more game time than he has been getting. The Spaniard spoke to Guillermo Rai of The Athletic after the move, revealing everything about his time at Real Madrid.

The defender went into detail about when Jude Bellingham arrived at the club, and the hierarchy revealed to Vallejo that the Englishman loved the No. 5 jersey, which was his club number. He told the story of what was said after he agreed to give it up.

I remember they signed Jude and the club told me that Jude liked the No 5 that had belonged to Zidane. I didn’t need anything else, I told them that I would be delighted to give him the No 5. A minute later, Jude sent me a long message in English in private that was very emotional.Jesus Vallejo

The 28-year-old continued to offer kind words regarding Bellingham.

Then, in person during the pre-season, he thanked me a lot. He’s a guy who looks much older than he is. He has a very good mentality, I was delighted to give him the number before meeting him and even more so after I got to know him.Jesus Vallejo

Bellingham is a long way from the legacy that Zinedine Zidane left at Real Madrid, but he has started strongly in his first two seasons and is still only 22 years old.

This article first appeared on Real Madrid CF on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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