Jude Bellingham mania has been sweeping across his home town of Stourbridge - and his old school has even got children singing “Hey Jude” in assembly.
Locals said they are bursting with pride after their hero rescued England's Euros chances with a stunning overhead kick against Slovakia. Teachers have got children at Hagley Primary School, where Jude attended as a young boy, bursting into choruses of Hey Jude in assembly and the classrooms.
The 1968 Beatles song has become an unofficial Euro 2024 anthem for England at the Euros - with even the Prime Minister urging the nation to sing it. Mum-of-two Kelly Chamberlain, 36, of Hagley, Stourbridge, who has two children who go to the school, said: "It's really exciting.
"It's great for the children to have that link to Bellingham who has helped put Stourbridge on the map. When I dropped the kids off this morning, they were all singing Hey Jude in the playground and the teachers even have them singing it in class and assembly.
"I'm not sure if it's every day but I know they have been getting them to sing it during the tournament, which I think is lovely.” Jude honed his talents on the playgrounds and sports pitches of the West Midlands town after growing up in the Hagley area before rocketing to superstardom.
And locals there have revealed how Bellingham fever is running wild in the town after England's dramatic 2-1 comeback to set up a quarter final with Switzerland. Kelly added: "The great thing is how normal he seems. So it just helps show the children how you can achieve anything in life if you put your mind to it.
"We had around 10 people around yesterday and we thought we were out - it just had to be Jude with that goal. Lets hope it's turned our fortunes around now."
Alan Ward, 52, of Stourbridge, added: "I've always followed football as a Derby fan since Brian Clough's days and supported England at every tournament. It's fantastic to have a local lad doing so well and he's probably one of the biggest names in football right now.
"We're all really proud to be associated with Stourbridge right now. This lad has really caught everyone's attention and seems a really nice guy too. Last night our hometown hero saved England and probably Gareth Southgate's job too with his backwards somersault to hook into the net.”
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