New Delhi: England international and Real Madrid star Jude Bellingham has acquired a 1.2% stake in The Hundred franchise Birmingham Phoenix, worth a reported aprroximately 1 million pounds (Rs 12.68 crore).
The Edgbaston-based side was among the eight teams put up for sale last year, with Knighthead Capital Management, which owns football club Birmingham City, bought a 49% stake for 40 million pounds (around Rs 504 crore) while Warwickshire County Cricket Club retained the remaining 51%.
Bellingham has taken 0.6% from both entities, leaving Warwickshire with majority control at 50.4%, while Knighthead holds 48.4%.
A lifelong cricket fan, Bellingham played for Hagley Cricket Club as a teenager before turning his attention to football and rising through the ranks at Birmingham City.
He then joined Bundesliga side Borussia Dortmund after one full season with Birmingham City and then moved to La Liga powerhouse Real Madrid in 2023.
“I love Birmingham. I’m very grateful for what the whole city of Birmingham has done for me. I love cricket as well, so when I got the opportunity to get involved I didn’t really think twice about it, so I’m so happy to be on board,” Bellingham said in a statement.
“I’m so grateful to Birmingham, the Stourbridge area and the West Midlands as a whole. I got the best upbringing into football, into life through Birmingham City. I feel like I owe the city something.
“Right now, it’s difficult with how busy I am with football, but if there’s a way in which I can help then I want to and this feels like a good way.”
CSR role
Warwickshire County Cricket club said Bellingham’s involvement will help in engagement with the local community and aid in corporate social responsibility projects within Birmingham and its adjoining areas.
“I think it’s so important to get our kids in the city out there playing sports. I think it’s crucial and the opportunity of me being a part of Birmingham Phoenix is to try and help people realise there’s different avenues. Some people will enjoy football, some people enjoy cricket,” Bellingham added,
“I want to let kids know, let adults know that there’s opportunities to go and enjoy sports. I was fortunate growing up I had the option of playing cricket and playing football, but some kids don’t have that opportunity.
“It’s important that if I can get involved in something like this to shine a light on an opportunity for kids, then even better.”
Warwickshire and Phoenix’s chief executive Stuart Cain said: “Jude loved cricket as a youngster and has wanted to be involved since the Hundred first went to market to secure investment… We look forward to working with him on a number of community initiatives moving forward.”
Bellingham is exected to be one of England’s star in their FIFA World Cup campaign in June-July.