"Greed is good," said Gordon Gekko in the 1987 financial drama Wall Street. "Greed is right, greed works, greed clarifies, cuts through and captures the essence of evolutionary spirit."
The film was released 16 years before Jude Bellingham was even born, but the Real Madrid midfielder has taken the key message of the fictionalised financial mastermind on board. The week before the Champions League final, he admitted he had not been surprised by how his incredible debut season in the Spanish capital had gone.
"I came here because I wanted to win, and to expect it, it's a bit greedy almost, but you have to be confident when you're playing with so many great players," Bellingham told reporters. Asked what the next step would be if he went on to lift the Champions League at Wembley, Bellingham did not hesitate: "Hopefully the European Championship," he said. "I just talked about being greedy..."
Bellingham duly won the Champions League against Borussia Dortmund, setting up the crucial second goal for Vinicius Jr on the way to victory before asking Jose Mourinho if he could pose for a photo with his mum during the post-match celebrations. He has since enjoyed a week off to relax, but now it's time for that next step, and for Bellingham to embrace his inner Gordon Gekko and win yet another major competition, this time with his country.