It’s not often you head to Fratton Park with anything other than a sense of impending doom.
Particularly in the Carabao Cup – a tournament that Portsmouth have reached the third round of just once since 2009-10. A sunny, warm August evening in 2019 was different.
Not because expectations were any higher than usual, but because Pompey were taking on Birmingham and a potential teenage superstar was in line to make his debut for the visitors.
A friend of mine had a son at the Birmingham academy and had messaged me the weekend to tell me to keep an eye out for a kid that had long been identified as rare and special at St Andrew’s.
A player who had played for the club’s under-18 side at the age of just 14. A youngster who had clubs across Europe tracking his every move.
A record-breaker
His name? Jude Bellingham.
That evening on the south coast, the then 16-year-old became the youngest player to be handed a senior debut by Birmingham since Trevor Francis.
Bellingham has dragged England to the World Cup semi-finals (Photo: Getty)Bellingham was 101 days younger than Francis, who had set the previous record in 1970.
A decent number of Birmingham fans had headed south, with a sighting of Bellingham the primary motivation. Just over a decade before, Portsmouth had played host to Ronaldinho in a Europa League tie with AC Milan.
That night was so loud, so raucous and so utterly unreal, that at times it felt the stands at the famous old ground would collapse in excitement, particularly after Pompey sprinted into a 2-0 lead.
The official attendance was 20,403 – the decibel levels were worthy of the Azteca last weekend.
Bellingham would have loved it. This August evening was a more modest occasion in every sense. A decent crowd of 9,913 were there to witness the first appearance of a player who looks set to be the defining player of his generation.
On Wednesday night, he’ll be the shirt that every Argentina player will want to add to their personal collection. Lionel Messi, Lautaro Martinez or Enzo Fernandez will be circling.
Bellingham was never going to stick around
It’s unlikely any shirt swapping when on that night at Fratton, but if it had, Bellingham could have exchanged his with the likes of Ellis Harrison – who scored twice on his home debut – or Ben Close (last seen on loan at Eastleigh).
On the pitch, just as he has shouldered England’s World Cup hopes in North America this summer, Bellingham wouldn’t have taken too long to realise that his bedding in process at Birmingham wasn’t going to be a gradual one.
A teenage Bellingham was already destined for greatness (Photo: Getty)Picked as one of nine changes to Pep Clotet’s side after a promising 1-0 win away at Brentford on the opening day of the Championship season, Bellingham was soon taking on the responsibility of dragging Birmingham back into the game after Pompey went 2-0 up in the first 40 minutes.
It wasn’t an overly auspicious bow by the teenage wonderkid, but you could already tell that his stay at Birmingham would be brief. It wasn’t so much the extra time he had on the ball every time he received it, as much as the way he drove his side forward.
He may have been 16, playing away night for the Championship side against hardened League One opponents but he spent the majority of his 80 minutes on the pitch cajoling and encouraging his teammates.
An ego? Almost certainly. But this was a young footballer who couldn’t have been less intimidated by either his opponents or the opportunity he had been handed at such a tender age.
In 2023, a scouting report from a Premier League club was leaked to The Daily Mail and described Bellingham’s immediate impact in a game that ended in a 3-0 defeat.
“Only 16 but awe-inspiring,” it read. That pretty much summed it up.
Read more
Daniel Storey: Jude Bellingham has made some people look very silly Kat Lucas: My England XI to face Argentina – with three major changesAs we filed out of Fratton Park, I had the sense that we too had witnessed something extraordinary from a player who would find himself at Borussia Dortmund within ten months.
Few songs beyond Play up Pompey get much of an airing at this South Coast cathedral.
Had we known then what we know now, we would have gladly belted out Hey Jude in his honour.
Hence then, the article about i was one of 9 000 people at jude bellingham s debut at 16 he was awe inspiring was published today ( ) and is available on inews ( Middle East ) The editorial team at PressBee has edited and verified it, and it may have been modified, fully republished, or quoted. You can read and follow the updates of this news or article from its original source.
Read More Details
Finally We wish PressBee provided you with enough information of ( I was one of 9,000 people at Jude Bellingham’s debut – at 16, he was awe-inspiring )
Also on site :
- Olympic Gymnastics Legend, Who Scored the World’s First Perfect 10, Relives Her Greatest Performance 50 Years Later
- Princess Diana's Alleged Camilla Face-Off Over King Charles Happened Here—Now the London Estate Is Listed for $33 Million
- Kendra Scott’s ‘Stunning’ $53 Adjustable Bracelet at Amazon ‘Goes With Everyday Outfits’ and Comes in 32 Styles