Jude Bellingham savours 'best night of my life' after Real Madrid win Champions League

Jude Bellingham described Real Madrid's Champions League triumph over former club Borussia Dortmund on Saturday as "the best night of my life" as the midfielder concluded a remarkably successful debut season in Spain.

Bellingham, recruited from Dortmund last summer for an initial €103 million, has set the football world alight during his first campaign at Real Madrid and played a pivotal role in their 2-0 victory at Wembley Stadium. The England midfielder assisted Vinicius Junior for the second goal in the 83rd minute after Dani Carvajal broke the deadlock nine minutes earlier.

In helping Real Madrid win their record-extending 15th European Cup, Bellingham has completed a club season that also saw the 20-year-old named La Liga Player of the Year; his 19 league goals – including a brace and late winner at rivals Barcelona – were vital to Real's title-winning campaign.

In his first Champions League final on Saturday, Bellingham received a standing ovation from the Spanish team's fans when he was subbed off late in the game at Wembley. They serenaded him with a version of “Hey Jude", and he is fast becoming the face of the team even as reports indicate France star Kylian Mbappe is on his way to the Bernabeu next season.

"I can’t have dreamed it much better than this,” Bellingham told TNT Sports on the field moments after the final whistle.

He credited veterans Luka Modric and Toni Kroos — multiple Champions League winners — with giving him a boost of confidence. For Kroos, it was the final club game of his illustrious career and a fitting farewell to a modern giant of the game.

“They were a big part of my feeling before the game to be fair,” Bellingham said. “When I was alone in my room I was thinking to myself and not as