Real Madrid News
Real Madrid mainstay opens up on his shoulder surgery: ‘Caused me the most anxiety’
Jude Bellingham missed the opening months of the ongoing season after he finally opted to undergo surgery for the discomfort in his shoulder, something that had plagued him for a very long time.
The player was playing through the pain for the better part of last season but continually deferred the surgery given how he would miss a lot of games.
Eventually, he agreed to the surgical treatment after the FIFA Club World Cup, and thus ensured that part of his recovery period would overlap with the season-end break.
Bellingham speaks on his injury
Speaking in a video on his YouTube channel (h/t MARCA), Bellingham opened up on his injury and how it had troubled him for a long time before he went under the knife.
“It’s what has caused me the most anxiety,” he said.
He then spoke on how the injury made him grateful for every game he plays and wins and for his mere participation.
“Last year made me realise that I should never take a victory for granted, and this year I want to win much more.”
Finally, Bellingham admitted that the shoulder injury had a massive effect on the rest of his body and thus his performance.
“The shoulder injury had a big impact on the rest of my body.”
Since his return, Bellingham has made 19 appearances and 15 starts for Real Madrid in La Liga and has four goals and three assists to his name.
He recently suffered a setback that saw him out of action for over a month and he only made it back in time for the game against Atletico Madrid just before the international break.
Real Madrid will hope he is back to his best fitness and form after the hiatus.
Real Madrid’s win over Villarreal was not as tidy as Jose Mourinho would have hoped, but the team did manage to take all three points without conceding a single goal.
For a team that had kept only one clean sheet up until Saturday’s game, that came as a massive accomplishment, much to the delight of Thibaut Courtois.
It was, however, a special night for the goalkeeper even beyond the clean sheet, and it was the night when he debuted his own glove brand – one which bears a close connection to his roots when he was still at Genk.
A change in representation
For the past three seasons, Courtois has been associated with Elite Sport, which has made the gloves he dons. Now, the player has returned to GOAL – the brand which was with him from the grassroots level, as reported by MARCA.
His change from Elite Sports to GOAL, however, is not merely a change in representation but far more, as Courtois has gone on to acquire the Belgian glove brand – starting a new venture in the process.
In that sense, his decision to start wearing gloves of the new brand not only promotes his own personal brand and business but also pays homage to a company that supported him at the very beginning.
Elite Sport have even confirmed the same in an official statement, saying,
“Thibaut has acquired a local Belgian goalkeeper glove brand and has chosen to use gloves from his own brand.”
A need for defensive improvement
One of Jose Mourinho’s biggest concerns over Real Madrid’s start to the season, needless to say, has been the team’s defensive record, which has been poor given how much they spent on defensive reinforcements in the summer.
Returning from the international break, Los Blancos oversaw the second clean sheet of their season against Villarreal, and have thus started on the right foot.
What is more important, however, is that the trend continues and both Courtois and the defense will be crucial in the same.
So far this season, the Belgian goalkeeper has played 720 minutes for Real Madrid and has made 25 saves with a save percentage of 76%. Having just two clean sheets, needless to say, is harsh on how good the player has been.
