Jude Bellingham appoints England FA whizz to help ensure dream transfer to Real Madrid is a success on and off the pitch
JUDE BELLINGHAM is doing everything possible to ensure his dream Real Madrid move is a success both on and off the pitch.
The 19-year-old England star completed his £115million transfer from Borussia Dortmund to Los Blancos and was officially unveiled on Thursday.
The close-knit Bellingham family have already been in the Spanish capital looking for a home for their son.
And now they have employed a member of the Football Association’s England staff to help look after things away from the pitch.
The FA’s Player Relations Lead Lewis Maddison will leave the organisation after the Three Lions’ clash with North Macedonia at Old Trafford on Monday to start his new job taking care of Brand Bellingham.
He has been hired by the family to assist Bellingham out in Spain, with duties ranging from taking care of his social channels and marketing opportunities as well as helping him settle.
Maddison, who is aged 31 and hails from Yarm near Middlesbrough, started his career at Nike in 2011 as the company’s Football Sports Marketing Manager.
That role involved managing the relationship, both contractually and servicing, with the sport brand’s portfolio of footy stars across the Premier League.
He left that position in 2018 to join the Football Association as senior commercial manager and worked at that summer’s World Cup in Russia as England reached the semi-final.
Maddison, who was part of the England camp at the Euros in 2021, quickly impressed and he was soon promoted.
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He took on the role of Player Relations Lead at the FA as he began working more closely with the Three Lions’ talents, including at the World Cup in Qatar.
Maddison has since become a popular member of the England camp and developed a strong relationship with a host of players, including earning the trust of the Bellingham clan and will now be heading out to Spain alongside the star in the coming weeks.
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