QPR: Jake Clarke-Salter issues message after 10-month injury nightmare - Jude Bellingham has reacted | OneFootball

Real Madrid superstar Jude Bellingham had a message for former Birmingham City team-mate Jake Clarke-Salter after the QPR man's return from injury.

Jake Clarke-Salter had an emotional message directed to QPR fans after making his first-team return this weekend following a 10-month lay-off - and England star Jude Bellingham was among the football players to respond to it.

2025 has been a horrible year for Hoops defender Clarke-Salter, but he made his return to the matchday squad for Saturday's clash with Hull City at Loftus Road.

The former Chelsea academy graduate has had a stop-start time of things over the last couple of years with injuries to both his hip and his calf, but he's been out of action since January, and even attempts to complete his rehabilitation this season have suffered setbacks.

But Clarke-Salter made his return for an hour against Hull before being replaced, and the day ended with a 3-2 win for Rangers, their first in five matches, following three draws and a defeat which saw them slump from eighth place in the Championship to 16th.

Jake Clarke-Salter's emotional Instagram message sees Jude Bellingham issue response

After the match, Clarke-Salter took to Instagram with an emotional post in which he expressed how happy he was to back in the QPR team again.

"Tough times never last!!," Clarke-Salter expressed.

"Grateful to everyone that’s stayed with me! So happy to be back on the pitch after 10 months out and to top it off with a win. Felt good to get minutes in the legs and dust off the cobwebs. Looking forward to getting back to my best!"

With over 2,300 likes, the post was clearly popular with Rangers fans, but one simple message - a heart emoji - was from his former Birmingham City team-mate Jude Bellingham.

Clarke-Salter spent two periods on loan with the Blues during the 2019-20 and 2020-21 seasons, before the England international's move to Borussia Dortmund, and Bellingham's message was a friendly response to an emotional post.

Jude Bellingham broke into the Birmingham City team while Jake Clarke-Salter was on loan there

Saturday afternoon was always going to be an emotional one for Jake Clarke-Salter. He last appeared for QPR in a 1-0 win at Plymouth in January and had to have surgery on a hip injury, but attempts to rehabiliate him back towards a return to the first team were hampered by further issues.

Earlier this year, he was put into the QPR development squad but twice had to be withdrawn, with the second time coming after he was reportedly stamped on by an opponent during a game against Middlesbrough in an off-the-ball incident.

But he finally made his long-awaited return for the Hull City match at Loftus Road and had a good afternoon, with Ilyas Chair, Jimmy Dunne and Rumarn Burrell scoring their goals to secure a 3-2 win for Rangers which lifted them a place in the Championship to 15th.

Clarke-Salter's two spells with Birmingham City came shortly before Jude Bellingham's big money move to Borussia Dortmund in 2021. The future England star broke into the Birmingham team at the start of the 2020-21 season, while Clarke-Salter was on loan at St. Andrew's from Chelsea, who was released by the Stamford Bridge giants in 2022 and signed for QPR.

What's clear from this Instagram exchange is that Bellingham is still very friendly with Clarke-Salter from their time together at St Andrew's, despite being six years his junior.