GRATEFUL Jude Bellingham made mum Denise the centre of attention after his Wembley triumph as thanks for helping his dreams of glory come true.
The Champions League winner, 20, credits the woman he calls his Queen with getting him within touching distance of Euros greatness.
Real Madrid star Jude took Denise, dad Mark and younger brother Jobe from the crowd and later fought back tears as he thanked his family for their support.
He said: “This is the best night of my life. I was all right until I saw my mum and dad’s faces.
“The amount of nights where they could be at home by seven o’clock and they’re doing trips at 11 and 12 at night to take me to football.
“And my little brother there who I’m trying to be a role model for. Yeah, it’s the best night of my life.”
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England fans were now urging Jude to save his strength for the upcoming Euros in Germany, after playing 42 games for Real in a debut season which saw him La Liga Player of the Year.
Chelsea fan Richard Wilson, 36, from Sunbury-on-Thames, Surrey, said: “Jude has played twice as much football as most top professionals at his age — he must be knackered.
“But he has the ability to become a true England great.”
On Saturday night Jude celebrated the 2-0 win over former club Borussia Dortmund by taking Denise to the sidelines to meet former Madrid manager and TV pundit Jose Mourinho, dubbed The Special One.
Jude snapped the pair together, telling smiling Mourinho: “Sorry about that, my mum’s fancied you for years!”
Mourinho later told TNT Sports: “Special player, special family. To see that family, the way they are there, they are not looking for cameras, they are not looking for the VIP seats, they are just there to support their kid in the most humble way.
“For me, it’s really beautiful. Family, we play for them, especially in these moments, we play for them.”
Mum Denise, 54, had accompanied former Birmingham City player Jude when he was sold to Dortmund in 2020 for £21million — then stayed by his side as he moved to Madrid last year for an initial £88million.
Retired cop Mark, 48, remained at home with 18-year-old Jobe, currently playing for Sunderland.
Denise made sure to celebrate her birthday, in December, back in the UK.
Jude wrote online: “Happy Birthday to my Queen! Love you more than life.”
He has admitted: “Without my mum, sometimes I’d get too low with the lows or too high with the highs and I stay pretty humble because I’ve got her around.
“She’s a great laugh as well. We get on so well, and we’re always doing stuff together. The role my mum is playing is massive.
“It’s probably the biggest role of anyone, more than my coaches and managers, to be honest.”
Denise, a former human resources manager, looks after all of Jude’s financial affairs, while Mark is his manager.
Jude said: “It leads to great conversations at the table. It can be anything from a discussion about a movie or something that happened to, ‘By the way, Real Madrid is interested . . . ’.”
Jude has said he only has “good memories” about his childhood in Hagley, West Midlands.
He was not obsessed with football as a young child, despite Mark being a prolific striker in the non-league game.
When taken along to his dad’s training sessions, he opted to make a daisy bouquet for his mum or play hide and seek.
But he became hooked. He recalled: “We talk about footballing heroes, and my dad was like my first.”
“Seeing the way he played and the atmosphere, it made me fall in love with football.”
The family’s unwavering support let him focus on simply being a “good footballer” and not getting caught up in the trappings of attention and fame.
But The Sun revealed he has found time for romance with Dutch model Laura Celia Valk, 25.
Yesterday he flew back to Madrid ahead of a huge parade in the city to mark the club’s 15th European Cup win.
That means he will not be available for England’s friendly against Bosnia and Herzegovina at St James Park, Newcastle, tonight.
But he will join team-mates in time for our final friendly before the Euros against Iceland at Wembley on Friday night.
An England source told The Sun: “He’ll probably join in light training with the squad on Wednesday or Thursday but Gareth Southgate will want him to take a well-earned break.
“He might be on the substitutes’ bench against Iceland but is unlikely to get any game time.”
Supporter Paul Taylor, a 46-year-old building firm director from Birmingham, said: “We have our best chance in my lifetime with this squad and Jude is our stand-out player. He needs to take a break before the Euros.”
And events organiser Jemma Swift, 39, from West London said: “We have our best chance of finally winning a trophy.
“If he stays fit and fired up it’ll be an incredible summer!”
The England source added: “I’m sure Jude will be raring to go once the Euros kick off and will be fired up when the time comes.
“He has tasted success and now he will be wanting more in an England shirt.”