Knighthead Capital, the American investment fund who own Birmingham City FC, bought a 49% stake in the franchise last year to become co-owners along with host county Warwickshire. Warwickshire confirmed in a statement on Wednesday morning that the Real Madrid midfielder, who grew up in Birmingham, has since purchased a small stake from both parties.
Bellingham has purchased a 1.2% stake in the franchise, one half from Warwickshire and the other from Knighthead. The club now holds 50.4% of the shares in the franchise, retaining majority ownership, while Knighthead holds 48.4%.
Bellingham’s stake is estimated to be worth around £1 million. Warwickshire said in their recent annual report that the “fair value” attributed to the club’s 51% interest in the franchise was £48 million, a valuation based on the cost of Knighthead’s initial purchase and an “appropriate control premium applied to the majority holding”.
Bellingham came through the academy at Birmingham City, first joining the club’s Under-8s, and became their youngest first-team player as a 16-year-old. He joined Borussia Dortmund for a reported £22.75 million after one full season of first-team football and subsequently joined Real Madrid for around £88 million in 2023.
“I love Birmingham. I’m very grateful for what the whole city of Birmingham has done for me. I love cricket as well, so when I got the opportunity to get involved I didn’t really think twice about it, so I’m so happy to be on board,” Bellingham said in a statement.
“I’m so grateful to Birmingham, the Stourbridge area and the West Midlands as a whole. I got the best upbringing into football, into life through Birmingham City. I feel like I owe the city something. Right now, it’s difficult with how busy I am with football, but if there’s a way in which I can help then I want to and this feels like a good way.”
Warwickshire said that Bellingham’s investment will see him play a key role in “community engagement” and “CSR [corporate social responsibility] projects within Birmingham and the surrounding areas”.
Bellingham added: “I think it’s so important to get our kids in the city out there playing sports. I think it’s crucial and the opportunity of me being a part of Birmingham Phoenix is to try and help people realise there’s different avenues. Some people will enjoy football, some people enjoy cricket.
“I want to let kids know, let adults know that there’s opportunities to go and enjoy sports. I was fortunate growing up I had the option of playing cricket and playing football, but some kids don’t have that opportunity. It’s important that if I can get involved in something like this to shine a light on an opportunity for kids, then even better.”
The ECB said last year when stakes in the eight franchises were sold that there was a “five-year lock-in period” for new investors but Bellingham’s investment has been permitted as his interest was flagged by both Warwickshire and Knighthead at the time of the initial transaction early last year.
Stuart Cain, Warwickshire and the Phoenix’s chief executive, said: “Jude loved cricket as a youngster and has wanted to be involved since the Hundred first went to market to secure investment… We look forward to working with him on a number of community initiatives moving forward.”
Knighthead’s involvement in the Phoenix forms part of wider plans to create a ‘Sports Quarter’ in Birmingham, following their investment in Birmingham City FC and the Birmingham Panthers netball team.
Kyle Kneisly, a partner at the firm and a Phoenix board member, said: “Working with Jude is another important step in building a vibrant sporting scene that everyone in the West Midlands can get behind… His involvement with the Hundred will help spark interest in cricket from people who have never engaged with the sport, creating new generations of fans for the game.”
Matt Roller is a senior correspondent at ESPNcricinfo. @mroller98