It’s not just Birmingham City, Jude’s first professional club, that have immortalised the young star. There’s a mural of him in Stourbridge’s Ryemarket Shopping Centre, highlighting what he means to the people of this town. He’s probably the most famous Stourbridge export since…erm… nineties pop heroes, The Wonder Stuff.
Blues, of course, retired his No.22 shirt when he left to join Dortmund in July 2020 and created a mural at St Andrew’s. Partly because of the major impact he had on the club – despite a short first team career there – after emerging through the ranks. Partly because they realised they had witnessed something special and played their part in the development of a wonderful talent. So wonderful, in fact, that he is in the running to clinch this year’s Ballon d’Or if he can stave off competition from Madrid team-mate Vinicius Junior.