Birmingham City were somewhat mocked for retiring Jude Bellingham's number 22 strip when he left the Blues behind in 2020, exiting his boyhood club as a teenager with lots still to prove, ahead of a major move to Borussia Dortmund.
The rest, of course, is history now, with the 20-year-old playing with the world at his feet, having scored for England in their recent Euro 2024 opener against Serbia to steer the Three Lions to a slim 1-0 win, alongside lifting the Champions League with Real Madrid at the end of the last campaign.
The ever-improving boy wonder will thank Birmingham for beginning this path to stardom, with another midfielder in the St. Andrew's ranks currently aiming to be the club's very next superstar over time, as he looks to head for the exit door this summer.
Birmingham's next big midfield sale
Rumoured to be leaving the West Midlands side this off-season, with the likes of Atalanta and West Ham United eyeing up his services in January, it looks to be a tall order for the relegated Blues to keep hold of Jordan James ahead of a new League One season to come.
With BirminghamLive speculating that the interested Italian party will likely come back in for the promising 19-year-old soon, new Blues manager Chris Davies will be planning for a future without the tenacious midfield star as a result, after he stood out as a constant bright spark even during Birmingham's disappointing relegation campaign.
With a £10m price-tag reportedly placed above his head when interest was heating up mid-way through the Championship season, it will be intriguing to see what fee the Blues will now deem acceptable to part ways, with Birmingham losing Bellingham to Germany for £25m in 2020.
It is unlikely that James will end up donning a Real Madrid strip anytime soon like the world-class 20-year-old, but the sky will still be the limit for the next top young product Birmingham have managed to produce, having impressed those in Blues quarters over the last few campaigns now.
James' numbers for Birmingham
Making his senior debut for Birmingham at the tender age of 17 in 2021, the agile Wales international has never looked out of his depth when performing in the senior ranks, mirroring Bellingham's rapid ascent into the senior mix at St. Andrew's, making his own debut at just 16 years of age.
James has amassed a mightily impressive goal and assists return since emerging into the first team as a youthful livewire, picking up ten goals and two assists from 105 games, with eight of those strikes coming during the 2023/24 season.
Stat
James
Bellingham
Games played
42
41
Goals scored
8
4
Assists
0
2
Shots*
1.0
1.2
Big chances missed
2
3
Touches*
27.8
40.8
Stats by Sofascore. * = per game
Matching Bellingham in a number of respective areas, when comparing James' own breakthrough season last time out to Bellingham's 2019/20 season at St. Andrew's, James will hope if an attractive move to Atalanta gets off the ground that he can become the Serie A club's next hero.
He would be surrounded by elite talents playing in Europe, instead of battling it out in League One, on the way to his own rise to unbelievable stardom.
Described as being a player who has "got everything" in his game to be a success, according to his international team boss in Wales manager Rob Page, the 19-year-old will pray a major move comes his way soon, even if Birmingham will be desperate to keep a grip on their homegrown gem for as long as they can.
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