The launch of Brand Bellingham: How England star Jude is set to cash in on his World Cup success… as insiders tell KATIE HIND all about his ‘hush hush’ plans for a VERY lucrative future – and his meet-up with David Beckham

This was a very sad moment for Jude Bellingham. Embracing Sir David Beckham at the Miami training complex ahead of England’s devastating semi-final clash, the midfielder made no secret of his admiration for the hero he was too young to have watched captain England at the 2002 and 2006 World Cups.

The Tuesday meeting was cordial, I’m told, and the pair ‘know each other very well’, having met several times. After all, they are among a select group of British athletes whose pictures and names make them instantly recognizable.

No doubt the conversation revolved around the upcoming match and perhaps Jude’s amazing contributions in previous matches. But their unrivaled talent on the field is not the only thing the two icons have in common.

Handsome and confident working-class boys with strong moral values, they are both role models for young men and heartthrobs for female fans.

But despite a bitter defeat against Argentina in Wednesday’s semi-final, Jude, who has scored six goals in the tournament so far, looks determined to follow his hero’s business model and become a global brand.

23-year-old Birmingham-born Real Madrid star Jude will wait four more years to lift the World Cup trophy. But regardless, this tournament served as a launching pad for Brand Bellingham, allowing him to capitalize on global Jude-mania and transform from athlete to businessman to global icon.

‘Everything was very quiet,’ says my well-placed source. ‘But Jude knows his worth and what he can gain. The level of hysteria on him can only be matched by that of David Beckham in his early 20s. Jude is very, very marketable and those around him know he could be a billionaire, even a “Sir” and that plan has just begun.’

I’m told Brand Bellingham is using Brand Beckham’s phenomenal success as a blueprint.

Embracing Sir David Beckham at the Miami training complex, the midfielder made no secret of his admiration for the hero as he was too young to watch him captain England.

Before the World Cup, pundits were debating whether Jude would be in the starting 11 or not. But he had already signaled the next phase of his plan.

The family business, Bello&Bello Ltd, was controlled solely by Jude, his mother Denise, his father Mark and his football brother Jobe.

But in June, Jude added two new managers to his business venture, clearly recognizing his growing opportunities.

Anyone who knows how protective former police officer Mark and HR worker Denise are about their son’s career and outside dealings knows how important these additions are.

The first of these was Oliver Hunt, co-founder of specialist London-based law firm Onside Law, who has long represented Jude in football contract negotiations. A few days later they added wealth management expert Simon Morris, who has ties to multiple financial advisory firms.

And that’s not all. Recently Jude had recruited former Football Association (FA) players’ leader Lewis Maddison. Lewis was brought into the personal corporate structure to oversee the many commercial opportunities currently available to the top player.

Mark and Denise have made their son millions through sponsorship and advertising deals, on top of his £20million salary at Real Madrid, but they think there is room for much more.

And Jude has his own Posh, which his female fans are furious about. He has been dating American influencer Ashlyn Castro for two years after matching on famous dating app Raya

‘Jude has a very carefully laid out plan,’ says my source. ‘His family had a lot of control over his career, but it was decided that if he wanted to grow up and become the next Beckham, he needed to prepare the groundwork.

‘So he built a team around himself that would enable him to go out there and make some serious money. This is a Billionaire Bellingham case.’

Indeed, the business is now at financial tipping point; industry sources suggest it can expect its revenues to increase tenfold.

His business dealings alone were worth £4 million last tax year. And Jude’s commercial portfolio has grown rapidly again this year, with estimates at around £11.5 million from several major endorsement and branding deals.

The biggest of his deals was with sportswear giant Adidas, which produces his own clothing line and uses him as one of its faces alongside fellow superstars Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappe.

Industry experts said the deal could bring in £5 million a year and potentially even more if its global fame spreads beyond Europe as a result of the tournament.

In the luxury sector, in a move similar to Beckham, Jude serves as a paid ambassador for French fashion house Louis Vuitton, which insiders are worth around £2 million annually.

And ahead of Euros 2024, she became the face of Skims, the clothing and shapewear brand co-founded by Kim Kardashian, in a global campaign said to be worth around £1 million; This was a smart move that allowed him to enter the lucrative US market.

Ahead of Euros 2024, she has become the face of a global campaign said to be worth around £1 million for Skims, the clothing and shapewear brand co-founded by Kim Kardashian.

Jude was also paid around £1.5 million for appearing on the cover of last year’s FC25 as the face of EA Sports’ hugely successful video game franchise.

A deal with the sports drink saw Lucozade launch its own special version of the product and feature in big-budget television campaigns; A European McDonald’s commercial also used his image for in-store campaigns this summer.

But all this was described to me as a ‘small fry’ compared to the future. After all, the charismatic midfielder possesses many of the qualities his predecessor has used to great effect over the years.

And Jude has his own Posh, which his female fans are furious about. He has been dating American influencer Ashlyn Castro for two years after matching on the famous dating app Raya. Although Ashlyn, 28, is not in a pop group, she has a high profile working with brands such as Clarins.

Jude, like Becks, is a patriot to the core and passionately belts out the national anthem before every game. He also impressed many with his compassionate side when he stopped to speak to a disabled Venezuelan journalist after England’s win over Mexico.

Like Becks, Jude likes to remind people that he’s connected to his roots. Sir David is known to visit his hometown in the East End for jellied eels, while Jude has invested in the local cricket club.

‘Jude will never forget where he came from,’ says the insider. ‘And that’s all part of the charm. He’s proud of his roots and had a wonderful, happy childhood.’

Born at Wordsley Hospital in Stourbridge in the West Midlands, Jude grew up in a modest halfway house in the village of Hagley.

Although her father has been described as a ‘non-league legend’ who scored more than 600 goals in his amateur career, Denise says his love for football was not instantaneous.

‘Jude didn’t play much when he was little,’ he said. ‘He didn’t seem to have any interest in football. We gave him a ball and he threw it but he didn’t actually want to hit the ball. Nothing seemed to happen until he was six years old.’

He then played for Stourbridge Juniors but was quickly signed by Birmingham City Academy.

Speaking to the Daily Mail, Jason Connon, Stourbridge Juniors’ director of operations, said: ‘As a club we are extremely proud of our connection with Jude, his career and his incredible performance at the World Cup.’

James Ayres, an elementary teacher at Hagley Elementary School, where Jude attended, said off the field he was a kind kid and would help other students who were struggling.

‘He was the first person to raise his hand and say, ‘Come to me, it’s okay,” says James.

Those who know Jude say this is why he is named as the favorite over England captain Harry Kane, who has hinted he will never play in the World Cup again.

Then he would indeed be Sir David Beckham’s heir; with all the financial rewards he could want.