On the day the Valley celebrated its centenary, 18,752 fans witnessed Jude Bellingham's first league start at 16 years and 77 days. Charlton, second in the Championship and unbeaten in six games, had a chance to go top. However, on a heated September afternoon in 2019, marked by Lee Bowyer's dismissal for grabbing a spare ball, they were defeated 1-0 by Birmingham City and eventually relegated. Bellingham scored the decisive goal, celebrating with arms outstretched. 'As the son of one of the most prolific strikers in non-league history, he should have learned a thing or two,' noted the Observer's match report. Already the youngest goalscorer in Birmingham's history, Bellingham had scored the winner against Stoke just 14 days earlier, earning another standing ovation.
Despite interest from Barcelona, Bayern Munich, and Manchester City, Bellingham chose to stay in the Midlands. Ed Aarons wrote, 'He looks capable of playing at the highest level.' Bellingham wasn't alone that day; in the Charlton midfield was 19-year-old Chelsea loanee Conor Gallagher, also making his debut. That Saturday marked the first time Bellingham and Gallagher faced each other, later becoming England Under-21 and senior teammates. On Sunday, they will meet for the fourth time, this time in the Madrid derby, a historic first for La Liga.
Gallagher, a new arrival, has played all 90 minutes in Atlético's last three La Liga games, despite a recent match ending at 11pm. Bellingham, recovering from a muscle injury and shoulder discomfort, has also started their last three games, assisting Kylian Mbappé. 'Jude loves Madrid,' Gallagher told AS. 'He's enjoying life here a lot and doing incredibly at Real Madrid.' In Bellingham's new documentary, he admits feeling as if he had the Santiago Bernabéu in his hand, scoring in his first four league games and Champions League debut. By Christmas, he had scored 17 goals, won the league title, and became a European champion.
Gallagher's debut season in Spain may not end the same way, but he has quickly become a fan favorite. 'The new idol at the Metropolitano,' as Marca put it, and 'signing of the season' according to AS. Despite initial delays in his move from Chelsea, Gallagher trained with Atlético and didn't back down. 'Simeone told me: don't worry, we'll make sure we sign you. Just be ready,' he recalled. Gallagher found support in César Azpilicueta, scoring twice and earning the nickname 'Pitbull.' 'Bellingham was born to play for Real Madrid,' Vinícius claimed, and the same could be said for Gallagher and Atlético.
That day in 2019, Bowyer praised Gallagher's work rate, qualities valued at the Metropolitano. 'What people on the inside say is being confirmed,' said Kiko Narváez. 'Gallagher is a worker with Atlético DNA. I hope he's happy and stays for years.' In a moment of levity, Gallagher sat on the turf after breaking his hair band, with teammates and Koke laughing it off. Now, five years later, that kid from the Valley will face Bellingham once more in the 237th Madrid derby.
