Holland U21 star who stunned England from 40 yards out is Jude Bellingham's best pal and quit Man Utd

The Sun

8 hours ago

NOAH OHIO is the U21 star that scored a stunning goal against England and is best pals with Jude Bellingham.
Ohio, 22, has long been close mates with superstar Bellingham, but he's making a splash for himself now after netting a sensational long-distance effort against the Young Lions at the U21 Euros.
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The striker, who currently plays for Utrecht in the Dutch top flight, found the bottom corner from distance with a first time effort from around 40 yards out while representing the Netherlands U21 side on Wednesday.
Unfortunately for Ohio, his spectacular finish was rendered useless thanks to a Harvey Elliott double that saw England U21s advance to the Euros final instead.
However, the former RB Leipzig rising star still caught the attention of most fans and appears to have made a name for himself during the competition.
Ohio, who had represented England at U16 level before switching his international allegiance to Holland, previously spent time in the academy ranks at Manchester United before quitting for a move to Man City.
It was during his time at Man Utd and with the England U16s that he became good mates with Bellingham, forming a friendship that they still have today.
Speaking to SunSport previously, Ohio explained how Bellingham is "just Jude" to him and not the global phenomenon he has become.
He said: "He's the best in the world but to me he's just Jude. He's been my best mate for four, five years now. We played for England Under-16s, that's when we got close.
'It's been nice to see the growth of him. I'm really proud — he's a superstar.'
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The pair are regularly posting snaps together and Ohio has headed out to Madrid to watch Bellingham play for Real in recent times too.
Ohio's own career hasn't quite followed the same meteoric rise, but the forward is working hard at forging his own path in Europe.
The 6ft Bagsman left Man City's academy in 2019 in favour of a move to RB Leipzig's development side - turning down a pro deal with Pep Guardiola 's side in search of more first-team opportunities elsewhere.
Over four years with Leipzig, Ohio never managed to break into the firs team fold, ultimately being sent on a flurry of loans around Europe.
That was until he penned a permanent switch to Belgian side Standard Liege in 2022, going on to make 45 appearances and score six goals for the club.
Ohio spent the second half of the 23/24 season on loan in the Championship with Hull City, scoring three times in eight games.
Last summer he left Belgium in a permanent switch to Utrecht, where he helped the Dutch side secure a place in the Europa League this season.
Ohio still has hopes of returning to England and making it over here, explaining: "I chose to go abroad when I was quite young and I had to make a decision for me. I'm really grateful to both clubs [Man Utd and Man City].
'I had a great time and most of my mates are playing in the Championship or in the Premier League, and doing so good.
'I hope to follow and make a name for myself in England. I think it's the ambition of all the boys, to play as high as we can."
While reaching the lofty heights his mate Bellingham has isn't out of Ohio's sights either, claiming that seeing it up close make him believe he can achieve it too.
He added: "You know it's possible because your friend's got there. So anything is possible and everyone's journey is different.
'He [Bellingham] tells me to stay focused, don't look left or right, it's your own journey and your own path. Don't compare and keep going at it. The more focused you are, the more success you will get.
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