Jude Bellingham admits he can't drive or cook, and relies on friends and family

He's one of the best footballers of his generation. He also can't cook, and he can't drive. England midfielder Jude Bellingham has been refreshingly honest about the everyday skills he's still missing.

What did he say?

Speaking to British Vogue in an interview published on 10 November, the 23-year-old said: "There's loads of things I don't know how to do. I can't cook, I can't drive. I'm good at what I do, but everything else? Not that great."

So who helps out? "I rely on my friends, my family to help me do stuff," he said. "Chef, cleaner, mum, whoever else. That's where I'm at."

He puts it down to his routine. "I work hard every day and all day, and then when I get home, I've probably neglected learning how to do some of the more basic things."

Mature on the pitch, less so off it

Bellingham says his age shows once the final whistle goes. "I feel mature in a football context because I've played nearly 400 games," he reflected. "But in a life context I don't feel that mature now, to be honest."

He isn't worried, though. "There'll be a time and a place for that, I'm sure."

Learning to drive or cook in your early twenties is hardly unusual. Most people just don't do it while playing for Real Madrid, the Spanish giants he joined from Borussia Dortmund in 2023 in a deal worth around €103 million.

A World Cup he'll never forget

Things have gone well on the pitch. Bellingham's first World Cup, in Qatar in 2022, ended with a 2-1 quarter-final defeat to France. This time, at the 2026 tournament, England finished third, their best result since 1966.

"The World Cup, for me, was probably the best experience I've had in my life, full stop," he said. He made a conscious decision to enjoy it, because "it doesn't come around very often. It's rare."

He also won fans abroad, partly thanks to his friendly bond with former Dortmund teammate Erling Haaland, who plays for Norway. But the reaction at home meant the most. As Bellingham put it: "I've seen a lot of people say, 'I don't think I've ever had a night when I was so happy and so proud to be English.'"

What's next?

For now, his focus stays on football. The driving lessons and cooking can wait, and in the meantime he has a chef, a cleaner and his mum on speed dial.