Jude Bellingham Urges Toni Kroos to Reconsider Retirement

Real Madrid Midfielder Hopes Legend Will Extend His Career

Jude Bellingham has expressed his desire for Toni Kroos to reconsider his retirement plans after Euro 2024. The Real Madrid legend announced he would retire following the tournament, but Bellingham, who joined Madrid from Borussia Dortmund last summer, hopes Kroos will stay.

The German midfielder, who has had a remarkable career with a World Cup, four Champions League titles, and four La Liga titles, is set to make his final appearance for Real Madrid on Saturday.

Speaking to TNT Sports ahead of the Champions League final against his former club Dortmund, Bellingham praised Kroos’s incredible season. “He’s been unbelievable, I think he said it himself, it has been one of his best seasons,” Bellingham said. “I’ve been begging him all year to stay.”

Bellingham joked that his persistent pleas might have annoyed Kroos to the point of wanting to retire. “I think it’s annoyed him to the point where he wanted to leave. I hope they don’t blame me for that,” he added, highlighting the pleasure of playing alongside the German maestro.

Reflecting on his time with Kroos, Bellingham shared some of his fondest memories off the pitch. “Some of my best memories this year are of when we went away to the European games,” he said. “You end up chatting about finals from different years, and I’m sat there like a kid, eating up everything they’ve got to say.”

Real Madrid secured their place in the Champions League final with a dramatic 4-3 aggregate win over Bayern Munich. Now, the 14-time champions face Dortmund at Wembley.

Bellingham acknowledged the emotional aspect of playing against his former club but emphasized the need to stay focused. “For me, it’s important that when the game comes up I take the emotion out of it as much as possible,” he said. “There’s a lot of people that I have a lot of respect for there; they gave me the chance to play at the highest level before anyone else.”

Bellingham, a key player for England, is also looking forward to representing Real Madrid at Wembley, a venue he knows well. “It is a big factor playing at Wembley,” he noted. “I’ve been there so many times and played there quite often for England. It helps to feel comfortable in your surroundings.”

As Bellingham prepares for the final, the football world watches to see if Kroos might reconsider and extend his illustrious career a bit longer.

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