Jude Bellingham believes Borussia Dortmund can still do something special this season

Borussia Dortmund’s Jude Bellingham was interviewed by club legend Patrick Owomoyela recently, during which the English international was adamant that his team can do something special in the second half of the season.

With Borussia Dortmund’s preparing for the second half of the season, Patrick Owomoyela sat down with Jude Bellingham to discuss a variety of topics that included England’s World Cup run to his feelings about returning to training.

After England were sent home following their quarterfinal defeat France, Bellingham noted in the interview that he spent his break away from football with his family. Bellingham enjoyed his time away, but after a few weeks he stated that he was really itching to get back on the pitch and train with his BVB teammates.

During the interview, Bellingham was shown a clip of his younger self when he first joined Borussia Dortmund. The interview, which took place in Bad Ragaz, focused on how Bellingham dealt with pressure at such a young age. In that particular interview he remarked that “pressure was a result of a lack of preparation and confidence”, two things he believed he had an ample supply of. When asked the same question again, Bellingham agreed with his younger self in many respects, but added that:

"“Pressure is a privilege at a club like Borussia Dortmund. You can kind of patch it however you want and say you don’t feel it but you have to understand that there is pressure playing for such a big club…I think I relish it, I enjoy the big games, playing for such a big club [like Dortmund] so it’s a privilege to be put in those situations.“"

A player that relishes the pressure and responsibility of playing in big games is the exact profile of player any club should strive to maintain within their ranks. It is likely because of this ability to cope with pressure and maturity that BVB saw fit to name Bellingham the club’s third captain. When asked whether Bellingham had ever imagined that he would captain Dortmund after such a short period of time and become one of the club’s leading players, his answer was quite humble:

"“I would’ve said no chance in two in a half years [that he would captain the club]. Give me maybe eight years…but I think the way my teammates and the staff I’ve had, the coaches that I’ve had to help me to develop have been really really good. It’s given me the platform to…add elements to my game that have taken it to the next level…I’ve put the work in but its them that have put me in the environment to make it happen.”"

In terms of his overall game, Jude has indeed developed immensely while with Dortmund, with the player highlighting his positioning and decision making on when to get into the final third, alongside his ability to be effective on the pitch, whether or not he tallies another goal and/or assist in any respective game. He admits that he still “has a long way to go” in terms of his overall game, which is a scary thought considering just how good he already is.

Jude’s overall demeanor and attitude bodes well for Borussia Dortmund’s second half of the season, with the player very much emphasizing that they can still achieve something memorable in the coming months.

"“No disrespect to the teams above us right now, but I feel in terms of quality, in terms of the player depth and in positions, we should be a lot higher than we are. I’m not afraid to say that to the lads and say that to the staff because that’s where our ambition should be. But it’s about doing instead of talking. I’m really, really motivated to turn it around. With the team that we’ve got and if we all step up our game a little bit more, we can really do something special in the second half of the season.”"

If Borussia Dortmund’s preparations continue to go as well as their 6-0 win over FC Basel, and this form carries over into the Bundesliga, they may very well turn their season around and achieve something. As Jude Bellingham highlights, with the level of talent and depth the club has on hand, they should be far more competitive than they have been so far. If that change in form is to occur however, we can be sure that Jude Bellingham will be an integral spark in making it happen.