For Jude Bellingham, success seems inevitable rather than just possible

It takes a lot to upstage Usain Bolt, so the fact that Jude Bellingham did it with aplomb indicates how far the modest young man from Birmingham has come in the past year.

Bolt is one of the most recognisable and sought-after personalities in sport, even a decade on from his multiple record-breaking achievements on the track. But the speed of Bellingham's rise from bright young thing to the most exciting young player in world football has been astonishing too.

He has won over everyone in Madrid since moving to the Bernabeu last summer, not just the hardened fans, but the kids, their mums, commentators, club legends and his team-mates.

Everyone loves Jude. No wonder his face is the image that welcomes you into the club's merchandise store on Gran Via, Madrid's main shopping street.

And it was just a few hundred metres up the road, at the historic Palacio de Cibeles, that Bolt met Bellingham for the first time, on arrival at the Laureus Sports Awards last week. This event, celebrating its 25th anniversary, is known as the Oscars of sport, with its grandiose staging and stellar cast list. Laureus legends, past and present, make up a Who's Who of sporting excellence.

Ruud Gullit, Boris Becker, Ed Moses, Novak Djokovic, Michael Johnson, Rafa Nadal, Sean Fitzpatrick, Raul, Martina Navratilova, Fabio Capello – they were all there in Madrid along with Bolt, a past winner of Sportsman of the Year.

When the big Jamaican appeared on the red carpet, he was the main focus of attention for dozens of cameras and reporters, as well as a throng of kids looking for autographs and selfies. But when Bellingham stepped out of the sponsors' car a minute or two later, the attention swung to him so quickly that Bolt was left almost alone.