England midfielder Jude Bellingham is a Zinedine Zidane in the making, according to the Spanish Director of Football who helped persuade Birmingham City he was special aged just 15.
Bellingham couldn’t inspire England to victory against World Cup finalists France in the quarter-finals in Qatar but he’s been likened to the French legend by Andres Manzano who was at Spain’s third tier club UE Cornella when Birmingham had a collaboration agreement with them in 2018.
Manzano, who has helped develop several Spain internationals including Barcelona’s Jordi Alba and Brentford’s David Raya, recalls: ‘The first time I saw him [Bellingham], he was playing at in an U-23 team at the Wast Hills Training Ground against an older side in a friendly.
Jude Bellingham has been compared to Zinedine Zidane by academy chief Andres Manzano, who witnessed his rise to super-stardom
He said Bellingham – who is now a first team player for England – showed instant maturity and composure as a youngster, as well as the ability to score and create, just like Zidane
Manzano (L) worked at Spain’s third tier club UE Cornella, who had a collaboration with Birmingham, when he saw him play as a teenager
‘I can remember perfectly that five minutes into the game I asked the Academy Director Kristjaan (Speakman) how old the number seven was.
‘I was astounded by his maturity and his composure in a game playing with and against players a lot older than him. I had to ask Kristjaan twice because I couldn’t believe this was a player born in 2003.
‘The player I see most in him is Zidane. In part it’s the versatility. He’s capable of playing central midfield, or wide; in a 4-2-3-1 or in 4-3-3 – he is somewhere between a number 8 and a number 10. He’s an all-terrain midfielder with a lot of personality and he is so good on the ball but he also has that size, that enviable physique.
He said he ‘could not believe’ Bellingham was born in 2003, such was the ability he showed at the age of 15 after Manzano watched him play for Birmingham’s youth side
Manzano also said Bellingham shares attributes of versatility and physicality with Zidane
‘I don’t like comparisons but if you ask me that’s the one I would make. He reminds me of Zidane, a player who could score, assist, and do a lot of things with the ball and without the ball. England fans are lucky because they have a player who is going to dominate for years.’
Borussia Dortmund had already spotted Bellingham and wanted to take him in back in 2018, paying just a small compensation fee. Manzano believes the awe he showed after first seeing him perform, played a part in Birmingham not losing out.
‘I remember perfectly my conversation with Kristjaan because I said this lad is very very very good. Kristjaan said to me: yes you’re not the first to see that! He’s the captain of England’s under-16s.
‘And my answer was: yes but the England under-16s have a different captain every year, this kid is so good.’I’ve been lucky enough to see the development of players such as [Gerard] Pique, [Andres] Iniesta, [Cesc] Fabregas and [Leo] Messi because they have played against our teams at that age.
Bellingham, who was one of England’s best players at this year’s World Cup, has been tipped to ‘dominate for years’ by Manzano
‘I’ve seen how they play aged 15 and 16 and how they have developed. I could see that Jude was a top player.’
Birmingham knew they were on to something but perhaps not to the extent they needed to and there was a decision to be made with Bellingham’s dad Mark wanting his son playing first team football the following season be that at Birmingham in the Championship or elsewhere.
‘I knew it would be difficult in a tough league like the Championship but that was the idea that I had and that Kristjaan had and we were able to convince the chief executive Xuandong Ren,’ says Manzano.
‘Not everyone at the club was so convinced but Josep Clotet (who had coached at Cornella previously) took over the first team and at that time there was another Spanish coach Xavi Calm who became part of the first-team training staff and I think all the opinions of that group where that this was a very special player and he had to be given this chance.’
Manzano said the good sense shown by Bellingham’s family played a pivotal role.
He also hailed Bellingham’s professionalism that helped him reach the top level of the game
‘It was Kristjaan who met with the family,’ he says. ‘He knew him from when Jude was small. The decision from his family was brilliant, visionary. His dream was to play in Birmingham’s first team and that was the sticking point for him staying but in the end the right decision was made.
‘He has good people around him advising him well. And he has a special sort of maturity too. You could see it on and off the pitch – aged 15 he was already a profession footballer in the way he behaved, in everything.’
Manzano, who is now Director General at Cornella, says he spoke to the biggest clubs in Spain after first seeing Bellingham play but it wasn’t easy for them to take a gamble on such a young player.
One of those clubs – Real Madrid – are very interested now but the player seems set on a move to England and Manzano is not surprised.
‘I would advise him to listen to his people because up until now they have always made the right call,’ he says. ‘In my opinion the Premier League is the best in the world and I’m sure as an ambitious player he wants to play in the best league in the world and in his own country.’