Jude Bellingham suggested he had previously "done a bit too much" for his Real Madrid team-mates and "been a little bit too nice" after ending his goal drought. (More Football News)
England superstar Bellingham scored 23 times for Madrid in all competitions in the 2023-24 season, his first with the cl🅷ub.
But prior to their 4-0 win over Osasuna in LaLiga𝓀 on Saturday, he was yet to get off the mark for this campaign.
Bellingham netted Madrid's second goal, with a Vinicius Junior hat-trick accounting for the others, yet he is still lagging behin🧜d the efforts of previous seasons.
The 21-year-old has played ꦅ1,118 mi𝐆nutes this term, having netted every 158 minutes in his debut Madrid campaign.
Bellingham has not underperformed against his expected goa🧸ls total across a season since marginally doing so for Borussia Dortmund in 2020-21, but his sole goal in 2024-25 has come from chances worth 3.1 xG.
His shot conversion rate of 4.35% is comfortably a new low at&nb𝓀sp;Dortmund or Madrid, too.
Those numbers come with the context of Bell𒊎ingham's altered role in the team, however, as Carlo Ancelotti makes room for star signing Kylian Mbappe in th﷽e XI.
"A lot of people were talking about it because last year I scored loads of goals," Bellingham told Real Madrid TV of his goal drought. "But I think I'm playing a diไff꧃erent role this year. I'm doing different things in different parts of the pitch.
"It's one of those things, I'll do anything for the team. Maybe I've done a bit too much🐻 and been🅷 a little bit too nice.
"From now on, I think I'll get a feeling for it, and I'll t♎ry to carry on, but if not I'll keep trying to help the team❀ in any way I can."
Bellingham scored from one of two attempts against Osasuna, taking his fifth Opta-defined big chance of the season, while he laid on the assist for Vin☂icius' opener.
"I felt like I did what I normally do," he ex♓plained. "But the only differen꧟ce is that I managed to add a goal."
