Birmingham chief claims new stadium can provide ‘great coming home story’ for Jude Bellingham

Jude Bellingham started his career at Birmingham City, and the club’s chairman has suggested their new stadium could tempt him back

Jude Bellingham started his career at Birmingham City (Getty Images)

Birmingham City chairman Tom Wagner has unveiled ambitious plans for a new £1.2 billion, 62,000-seater stadium, envisioning it as a "great coming home story" for football superstar Jude Bellingham.

The Real Madrid midfielder, who began his career at St Andrew’s, was involved in promotional material for the impressive new ground, which is slated for completion by the 2030-31 season.

Wagner, the American businessman behind the club’s vision, spoke passionately about Bellingham’s potential.

"I think Jude is the greatest player on the planet today, and I think his potential is not even close…we haven’t seen anywhere near his full potential yet, not just as a player on the pitch, but also what he can do for a community, what he can do as a leader," he stated.

"And so if we can provide him a platform to achieve his full potential, well then that’s a great story. It’s a great coming home story, it’s a great Birmingham story. It’s a great England story. So….yeah."

The proposed 'Powerhouse Stadium', which will also feature naming rights, is planned for Bordesley Green.

Tom Wagner unveiled plans for Birmingham's new stadium on Thursday (Jacob King/PA Wire)

It boasts a retractable roof and changeable pitch, designed to host a variety of events including NFL games and major concerts.

The surrounding development will include a new training centre, a smaller stadium for the Blues’ women’s team, affordable housing, and a hotel.

Acknowledging the scale of the project for a Championship club, Wagner admitted, "We look, I think, like modest lunatics sitting in the Championship saying we’re going to do this."

However, he defended the ambition by citing the club's strong fanbase, noting that 50,000 tickets were sold for their Wembley cup final last season, with an additional 26,000 people waiting to purchase.

"I think that illustrates that the fan base is sufficiently large enough to fill the stadium," he added, emphasising a philosophy to "build for the future, not the past."

Wagner also highlighted the stadium's environmental credentials, claiming it will be "maybe the most environmentally sound stadium that will ever be built."

He stressed its multi-purpose nature, capable of hosting "every event under the sun, from the world’s biggest touring concerts to boxing matches to the NFL."

The club aims to compete for the right to host NFL events and international football competitions, positioning the venue "absolutely up there with the modern stadiums in the UK and the world."