26 November 2023 , 23:58
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Jude Bellingham's stunning start to life at Real Madrid continued as he scored again in their 3-0 win over Cadiz on Sunday, breaking a record jointly-held by Cristiano Ronaldo in the process.
Bellingham made the move to the Bernabeu over the summer for an initial £88.5m and has made an immediate impact. The midfielder has scored 14 goals in 15 games across all competitions so far this season, with Real currently top of La Liga and unbeaten in the Champions League.
And his goal against Cadiz means no other player in the club's history has scored more goals than him in their first 15 games. Ronaldo, Alfredo di Stefano and Pruden Sanchez sit just behind Bellingham, having scored 13 goals in their first 15 matches.
Bellingham was fit to start the match after missing England's recent Euro 2024 qualifying matches against Malta and North Macedonia with a shoulder injury, although he was replaced by Lucas Vazquez as a precaution shortly after scoring his goal.
"Bellingham is fine," Real boss Carlo Ancelotti reassured fans ahead of a Champions League tie against Napoli on Wednesday. "He still has some problems in his shoulder but he feels fine with the protection."
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Former Real Madrid defender Aitor Karanka, who won three Champions Leagues during his time at the club, has been hugely impressed with Bellingham's impact. He told earlier this month: "I did not have any surprise or any doubt, but maybe one surprise is just how quickly he's done this.
"I played with Figo and Zidane and, even for them, it took time. I remember when Zizou arrived here, the first month or two months, he was not as good as he was at Juventus or later on. It's Real Madrid. But with Jude's personality and character, it looks like he's been playing here for ten years in Madrid.
Bellingham has scored 14 goals in 15 games for Real (Getty Images)"No other club is like it. When I played here, there were top players but all of them were older but now at 20 years, the only one I think of is Raul who started at 18 or 19 but when you are as young as Jude, it's hard to find anyone who has been as successful as him.
"More than his quality and skills, the most important thing is his personality. How mature he is, his brain and the family. The family have clear ideas, Jude has his own ideas and I think it's important for his direction.
"When he left Birmingham, he could have gone to other teams in the Premier League but when he joined Borussia Dortmund, it was because he thought it was the best step for him and now I think Real Madrid has been the same."