Real Madrid 'the highest you can aspire to' in football: Bellingham

Jude Bellingham has been Real Madrid's star signing this season. The England midfielder reviewed his first season as a Real Madrid player with UEFA's official media in the build-up to the second leg of the Champions League semi-final against Bayern Munich.

"This club is always the highest you can aspire to in football. It's always been the level I wanted to get to and could get to, but I didn't think it would come so quickly. Now I'm here, I feel grateful every day to be able to represent this club. It's a big part of my life now, it's my life really. It's always been the goal for me," he explained.

On the other hand, Bellingham explained a curious anecdote about his shirt number: "My father always wore a Real Madrid shirt at home with Zidane's No 5 on it. It's funny because the story has turned around and he gave it to me when I signed in the summer. I used to ask him who the player on the shirt was and he told me that when he grew up we would see it on Youtube. Now that I'm wearing the No 5, it's a great story".

Also, asked about his good performance in a more advanced position, the Englishman gave full credit to Ancelotti: "I think it's the role that suits me best in this team. I think when I have the freedom to go up, go down, pass the last line and have the ball to play and create, I feel really good and I feel like I can get involved in any action of the game and try to do my defensive job as well. Credit to the coach for giving me that licence. It's not easy to see someone who has played in a lower position for so long at Dortmund and find something that makes you think I would do well playing a bit higher up. Honestly, all credit to him.

"I have to thank the club for their interest. There are many talented players and I was honoured that they thought I had the right characteristics and personality to fit in. When they called me and told me the plan and the project for the next few years they convinced me. I didn't even have to think about it," he continued.

On his contribution to the team: "I enjoy being a Real Madrid player, in the good and bad moments, when you have to get up and try again. Everything that has to do with playing at the highest level at such a big club seems incredible to me. You have to enjoy the feeling of being in the trenches and think it's not a good time, but take responsibility and help the team out of those bad moments. I've managed to do that this season and the team has managed to do that with other players stepping up and that's why we've done so well. Those games that looked like they were going to be draws or defeats and someone manages to turn things around. It's a great feeling.

Bellingham did not hesitate to praise all the values of the 'Merengue' club: "Here you learn to recognise the legends of the past. The values and identity of the club are built on those legends who carried this crest so well before us. It's important to carry on the legacy and the values that they set and that's what I try to do.

Finally, Bellingham avoided talking about individual awards and focused on collective goals: "I only think about the collective goals. Everything else is all people talk about. I always think about the teammates I work with every day, who are there in the bad times and with whom you enjoy the good times. I always think about how nice it would be to lift all those trophies together and reward the work that everyone has done during the season. That's the ultimate goal of football. If we were talking in a year's time, I'd like to have a Champions League and be in another semi-final"