Bellingham  will take 1.2 per cent of the equity. Half of this amount has been sold by Warwickshire County Cricket Club and the other half by affiliates of Knighthead Capital Management, who also own Bellingham’s former club Birmingham City.

Warwickshire County Cricket Club will maintain majority control with 50.4 per cent and Knighthead holding 48.4 per cent.

The Stourbridge-born star’s investment in the Birmingham Phoenix will see him take a keen interest in community engagement and CSR projects within Birmingham and the surrounding areas, with increasing participation in cricket - a sport he enjoyed growing up.

Bellingham said: “I love Birmingham. I'm very grateful for what the whole city of Birmingham has done for me. I love cricket as well so when I got the opportunity to get involved I didn't really think twice about it, so I'm so happy to be on board.

“I want to let kids know, let adults know that there's opportunities to go and enjoy sports. I was fortunate growing up I had the option of playing cricket and playing football, but some kids don't have that opportunity.

“It's important that if I can get involved in something like this to shine a light on an opportunity for kids, then even better.

“I think the things that you learn from playing cricket, playing football, playing team sports are with you for life.

“To be able to interact with people, understand people from different backgrounds and also realise you can have a good time with anyone, I think that's the beauty of sport. It brings people together, especially now more than ever.”

Stuart Cain, chief executive of Birmingham Phoenix, said: “Jude loved cricket as a youngster and has wanted to be involved since The Hundred first went to market to secure investors.

“He understands high performance sport, but more importantly as someone who grew up in the West Midlands and played the sport in his local streets, he understands the importance of sport and how it can play a positive role in young people’s lives. 

“So, we look forward to working with him on a number of community initiatives moving forward.”

Kyle Kneisly, partner at Knighthead, said: “Jude is a fantastic role model who embodies everything brilliant about the spirit of Birmingham and the West Midlands, having grown up and made his breakthrough in sports here.

“There is no doubt that his involvement with the Hundred will help spark interest in cricket from people who have never engaged with the sport, creating new generations of fans for the game.”

Bellingham, a La Liga and Champions League winner with Real Madrid, burst onto the professional football scene as a 16-year-old with Birmingham City and his impact in just 44 appearances earned him a move to German giants Borussia Dortmund.

The 22-year-old spent three years in Germany, winning the DFB-Pokal, before making the move to the Spanish capital to join Real Madrid in 2023.

He won the La Liga and Champions League double in his first season with Los Blancos and has been a mainstay in the England national team.