Jadon Sancho sent a text message to former teammate Jude Bellingham after it was confirmed that Real Madrid would face Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League final.
They may have only played together at Dortmund for a single season but Bellingham and Sancho forged a close friendship during their time at Signal Iduna Park.
In fact, Sancho played an important role in helping the young midfielder settle in a new country, acting as his mentor throughout those early days in Germany.
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“Sancho is really very important for me. Not only because he comes from the same country as me. Or because he speaks the same language," Bellingham told Kicker magazine in 2020.
"Even more important is how he puts his arm around me, but also around the other young players, how he encourages us in our abilities, how he gives us confidence.”
Bellingham added: "He is a great role model for English players of my age. To receive praise and encouragement from him means an awful lot to me. It helps me a lot."
After a prolific spell at Dortmund, Bellingham joined Real Madrid last summer for a reported £88.5 million – and the England international has flourished ever since, scoring 23 goals in all competitions.
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Now, the midfielder will come up against former teammate Sancho as Los Blancos eye their 15th title in Europe's elite competition.
And ahead of Saturday's clash at Wembley, Bellingham spoke to Real Madrid TV about a number of subjects, including a text message he received after Los Blancos booked their place in the final with a second-leg win over Bayern Munich.
He said: "When we first got through [to the final], I got a little message from Jadon and he said, 'See you there'.
"Jadon has been someone who has taken me under his wing when I first arrived at Dortmund. He's a really good guy and someone I've got a lot of time for."
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Sancho is currently enjoying his second spell at Dortmund after joining the club on loan from Manchester United in January. He has scored three goals for Edin Terzic's side.
Topics: Jude Bellingham, Real Madrid, Jadon Sancho, Bundesliga
Jack Kenmare