8. There is mathematical logic to his No. 22 shirt
Bellingham’s famous No. 22 shirt wasn’t chosen at random. During his time in Birmingham City’s academy his coach, Mike Dodds, recognized that he was capable of playing three different midfield roles: No. 4 as a holding midfielder, No. 8 as a box-to-box midfielder and No. 10 as an attacking midfielder. When you add those numbers together, you get 22. The number has since become closely associated with Bellingham and has followed him through every team change.
9. Birmingham City retired his number
Bellingham’s time with Birmingham City’s senior club may have been limited, but it was nonetheless impactful enough that no other footballer who plays for the team will ever wear 22 again. The decision reflected just how highly Birmingham regarded their young academy product.
