In the summer of 2020, Birmingham City retired the number 22 (an act they were laughed at for, at the time) shirt for a 17-year-old. The logic behind that number, explained by academy coaches, was profound: Jude wasn’t a 4, an 8, or a 10. He was all of them combined.$4 + 8 + 10 = 22$.
Today, that "22" logic is being forgotten. In the wake of his goal-scoring explosion at Real Madrid and his positioning for England, a myth has taken hold: the idea that Jude Bellingham is a creative Number 10. While he is undoubtedly world-class, forcing him into the "creator" archetype is a tactical disservice, misuse and gross mis-profiling. The data suggests we aren't looking at the next Kaká; we are looking at a turbocharged version of Patrick Vieira or Steven Gerrard.
The Dortmund Blueprint: The Engine Room
To understand Bellingham’s true ceiling, we must look at the Westfalenstadion. At Borussia Dortmund, Jude operated as the quintessential "engine." According to Fbref data from his final Bundesliga season, Bellingham ranked in the 98th percentile for successful take-ons and the 94th percentile for progressive passes received.
Instead of waiting in the hole for the ball, he won it in the defensive third and carried it 40 yards. He was a high-volume "progressor." His best work came when he had the game in front of him, allowing him to use his physical gravity to draw opponents out of position before releasing the ball and "crashing" the box, in our mind, his greatest attacking strength.
The Madrid Illusion: The Kroos-Modric Factor
The 19 league goals in his debut Madrid season created a "survivorship bias." We saw the goals and assumed he was a 'fox in the box' or a playmaker. However, a deeper dive into Opta metrics reveals that his success was heavily subsidized by the structural genius of Toni Kroos and Luka Modric.
With Kroos providing the "line-breaking" passes (ranking in the 99th percentile for progressive passes), Bellingham was freed from the burden of creation. He could focus on his greatest attribute: Box Crashing.
Jude’s Expected Goals (xG) were high because of his elite timing, not because he was picking locks. When you look at his Passes into the Penalty Area or Through Balls compared to pure 10s like Cole Palmer or Jamal Musiala, Bellingham trails significantly. He is not the player to dismantle a low block with a surgical slide-rule pass; he is the player who demolishes the block by running through it.
The England Dilemma: Why the 10 is a Trap
For England, the insistence on playing Jude as a 10 often leads to a congested final third. When he plays with his back to goal, his greatest strength—his stride and momentum—is neutralized.
Statistical Evidence (FBref/Opta):
- Incisive Passing: In terms of "Key Passes" per 90, Bellingham consistently ranks lower than traditional playmakers.
- Pressure Resistance: He excels in the 90th percentile for "Touches under Pressure," a trait suited for a central midfielder navigating a crowded engine room, not a 10 who needs to be the final link in the chain.
- Defensive Workrate: His tackle and interception numbers are far superior to any elite Number 10, proving his value lies in the "middle third" transition.
Verdict: Return to the '22'
Jude Bellingham is a world-class talent being miscast as a specialist. By labelling him a 10, we lose the "4" (the ball winner) and the "8" (the carrier).
He is a box-to-box force of nature who needs the grass to run into. He shouldn't be the one playing the pass that breaks the line; he should be the one receiving it at full tilt after ghosting past a bewildered holding midfielder. It’s time to stop asking Jude to be a creator and start letting him be the engine that drives the entire machine.
He isn't our 10. He is our everything. He is a 22.
