It would be somewhat of an understatement to say that Jude Bellingham has taken to life in Madrid like a proverbial duck to water.
The 20-year-old from Birmingham has smashed home 17 goals in 21 appearances this season and has already broken Cristiano Ronaldo’s record for the most goals scored in a player’s first 15 games at the Spanish giants.
So far he has taken everything in his stride with complete ease and has developed an aura of confidence seldom seen in anyone his age, from any walk of life.
But he is so highly thought of that it is sometimes difficult to remember that the England international was only born in late June 2003, and even now carries a large portion of the weight of expectation from an entire nation.
Handling so much intense pressure at such a tender age does start to make you wonder how youngsters deal with the intense scrutiny of the footballing world and what sets apart a Bellingham from a Freddy Adu, or a Martin Odegaard from a Hachim Mastour?
Jude Bellingham is flying at Madrid but he is already facing mounting pressure with some even labelling the 20-year-old the best in the world
![Martin Odegaard signed for Real Madrid at just 16 years of age but went on to make just 11 appearances](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2023/12/27/15/79370251-0-image-m-5_1703689276038.jpg)
Martin Odegaard signed for Real Madrid at just 16 years of age but went on to make just 11 appearances
![Freddy Adu's story has become intrinsically linked with the pressures of being a wonderkid](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2023/12/27/15/79370297-0-image-m-6_1703689289359.jpg)
Freddy Adu’s story has become intrinsically linked with the pressures of being a wonderkid
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All of these players were once tipped to be the next big thing coming out of their various clubs or countries.
But players like Adu, who was supposedly meant to guide American football into a new golden age, are now adrift of the sport that promised them so much.
Signed by MLS club D.C. United at just 14-years-old, the Ghanaian-born forward became the youngest athlete to ever sign a professional contract in 2004.
He was the number one pick in the 2004 draft and went on to become the youngest player ever to appear in US professional sports.
However since Adu burst onto the scene, he has played for 14 different teams spanning nine different countries and is clubless aged 24.
In his case it seems that individual attitude and exposure to too much, too young were some of the main problems.
Speaking to CBS he previously reflected: ‘Let’s keep it 100. I was able to get into places where a teenager wasn’t supposed to be getting into. I had a lot of friends who were older because I played up when I was younger and we were able to go to College Park, Maryland and we’ll get into all the bars and whatnot.
‘Sometimes, you have all the talent in the world and it’s not enough. You’ve got to work your butt off to maximize that talent and guys who aren’t as talented as you, if they work their asses off, they’re going to surpass you,’
![Freddy Adu has played for 14 different teams spanning nine different countries and is clubless aged 34](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2023/12/27/15/79370299-0-image-a-7_1703689312016.jpg)
Freddy Adu has played for 14 different teams spanning nine different countries and is clubless aged 34
![Norwegian Odegaard became Real Madrid's youngest ever debutant at just 16 years and 157 days.](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2023/12/27/15/79370253-0-image-a-8_1703689314580.jpg)
Norwegian Odegaard became Real Madrid’s youngest ever debutant at just 16 years and 157 days.
‘It happened in my case. There were a few guys that obviously weren’t as talented, but they put in the work and they had more success.’
Adu’s admission that his work ethic may not have been up to scratch is an interesting one, showing that staying focused on the end goal and sticking to diets, training and gym work are all part and parcel of becoming a successful professional.
A willingness to stick at it, ignore the hubbub of the outside world and focus on the controllable are integral parts of the youngsters who eventually make it.
And that is perhaps it, reaching astronomical heights early in a career does not mean automatic success, but it’s the perseverance that ensures a player goes all the way.
No one embodies this more than current Arsenal and Norway captain Martin Odegaard, he took a different trajectory to Bellingham but his route to the top demonstrates an equally important example to current youngsters tipped for success.
Signed by Real Madrid in a deal worth £3m in 2015, the Norwegian became Real’s youngest ever debutant at just 16 years and 157 days.
However his stint with Los Blancos, playing just 11 times for Real amidst four different loan spells, could have spelled danger for Norway’s brightest star.
![Another example of struggling to meet lofty expectations is Hachim Mastour who never reached the heights he was predicted to](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2023/12/28/00/79387757-12904289-image-m-12_1703725016722.jpg)
Another example of struggling to meet lofty expectations is Hachim Mastour who never reached the heights he was predicted to
![Martin Odegaard is now Arsenal captain and is widely considered one of the best midfielders in the Premier League](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2023/12/28/00/79387773-12904289-image-a-11_1703724720103.jpg)
Martin Odegaard is now Arsenal captain and is widely considered one of the best midfielders in the Premier League
The youngster turned his career round after heading to North London and is now one of the Premier League’s best midfielders, spearheading a young and exciting Arsenal side under Mikel Arteta.
‘The press came after me for not immediately living up to the hype. I was an easy target….Maybe If I’d been Spanish, I might have been given a bit more time to grow’ Odegaard said.
‘Honestly, I don’t know. In the end, it’s just the nature of the hype machine. There is no in-between in modern football. You’re either the best signing in history, or you’re sh**.’
The hype and pressure does seem to be the issue, particularly in today’s social media driven, compilation-obsessed footballing fanbase.
One good game and a player is the answer, the new Lionel Messi, Diego Maradona and Cristiano Ronaldo rolled all into one, the next he is a flop and a waste of potential.
Talent of course gets you a bright start to any career, not just sporting, but in the case of handling high pressure environments such as elite football it is by no means gives you the full ride.
Adu had the talent, but Odegaard had the perseverance and so far it seems Bellingham has it all. The next generation should look at both players for a blueprint of how to avoid football’s pitfalls and fulfil their potential.