Birmingham City's 'silly' Jude Bellingham gesture back in the headlines after backlash

Jude Bellingham’s name is once again the name on everyone’s lips following yet another heroic performance for England. The former Birmingham City midfielder scored both goals in a hard-fought 2-1 victory over Norway that has put the Three Lions in the World Cup semi-finals for just the fourth time ever. But it wasn’t only that which caught the attention of some of English football’s legendary names, with Gary Lineker and Ian Wright pointing to the 23-year-old’s all-round performance. Wright was gushing with praise and speaking on the Stick to Football podcast, the former striker evoked Bellingham’s Blues background, which ended after one season in the first team – and with the much-mocked retirement of his number at St Andrew’s. FOLLOW ON FACEBOOK! All the latest Blues news on Birmingham Live’s Birmingham City FC Facebook page Bellingham was only 17 at the time and Wright thinks Blues were on to something: “Remember his number got retired at Birmingham . They said that was silly,” he said. “But now you look at him. He went to Real Madrid and took [Zinedine] Zidane's shirt number. That's ballsy. Jude has gone to a level that's unbelievable." Bellingham has always played down that issue later saying about his No. 22: “I always say that it's not retired. It's reserved for when I go back and hopefully take them to the Premier League.” Meanwhile Lineker told The Rest is Football podcast: “I would go as far as to say I think there’s a chance he could end up being England’s greatest ever footballer. “At this age to be doing what he is doing and grabbing England by the scruff of the neck and getting them over the line – that is a superstar reaction. I think it is just incredible what he is doing.”