Real Madrid midfielder opens up on complicated recovery from injury – ‘Easy to get dragged into negativity’ | OneFootball

With four goals in 17 matches and just over 1,100 minutes of competitive action, it is perhaps fair to say that Jude Bellingham has had a slow start to the new season.

Much of it has to do with a shoulder problem that he had been carrying for a long time, with the midfielder finally deciding to undergo surgery in the summer.

The Englishman missed a considerable part of the early-season action and after a slow start initially, the youngster is finally starting to come into his new, having been involved in three goals in the last three league matches.

In a recent interview, Bellingham has opened up about his shoulder problems and the challenges it posed.

Bellingham on recovering from a shoulder problem

Despite initial fears that he could miss up to four months of the 2025-26 campaign, Bellingham’s determination saw him return ahead of schedule.

“It felt quick, but there were a lot of days alone, working hard, and honestly pretty boring. I’m back earlier than people expected it was never going to be three or four months, I was always confident I’d return sooner,” he said on the newly-launched JB5 app.

Bellingham went on to talk about his surgery, which was successful in repairing the recurrent dislocation, but the mental and physical rehabilitation involved unlearning dangerous habits.

Is Jude Bellingham finally back to his best? (Photo by Angel Martinez/Getty Images)

“I had to do gym sessions on a mat, learning how to fall and roll again, making sure I wasn’t putting my shoulder in positions where it might pop out.

“The chances are less than 1%, but it was about feeling no pain. It’s boring stuff you’re basically learning to fall again like a kid,” he said.

Now back in the fold for both Real Madrid and the English national team, whose coach Thomas Tuchel has asked for patience with the midfielder, Bellingham admits that the isolation of injury was difficult to handle.

“It’s easy to get dragged into negativity when you’re injured, especially when you can’t remind people what you do,” he said.

“Once I was back with the team and doing contact, I flew through the last few weeks. On the pitch I feel confident,” he added.

Finally, Bellingham thanked the fans and the endless support he received throughout this period.

“It means a lot to hear people say they miss watching you, teammates miss playing with you, staff miss coaching you even the fans being up in the stand, seeing yourself on the big screen, hearing the claps it’s humbling to know so many people are supporting you,” he said.

“That support was exactly the reminder I needed of how loved I am in Madrid, which is all that really matters,” he concluded.