Championship side Birmingham City left their former star Jude Bellingham in complete shock after unveiling designs for their proposed new £3billion stadium.
Computer-generated imagery of the ‘Powerhouse Stadium' certainly turned heads, with 12 gigantic chimneys providing the venue with a unique look.
Birmingham went all out to make the announcement video just as spectacular as the designs, and they made sure to throw a few famous faces into the clip.
A momentous day in the Club's history. 🏟️
We are proud to unveil the designs for our NEW 62,000-capacity stadium, developed by the world-renowned Heatherwick Studio and MANICA Architecture. pic.twitter.com/99dQG09ZC1
— Birmingham City FC (@BCFC) November 20, 2025
Former Blues star and current Real Madrid galactico Bellingham was one of the people involved, and his brief reaction to the plans certainly resonated with supporters.
Seeing the images for the first time, the England international was clearly in disbelief, saying: “Oh wow!”
After a brief moment of reflection, Bellingham’s pragmatic mind quickly turned to the proposed timetable for the completion of this mammoth project.
When asked when the stadium would be ready, a voice in the background replied: “Five years.”
Could Bellingham return for new Birmingham stadium opening?
Upon hearing the timeline for the project, some fans put on their investigative caps and immediately checked Bellingham’s expiry date on his Real Madrid contract.
As it turns out, the midfielder’s deal with Los Blancos runs out in the summer of 2029 – though the idea of Bellingham leaving Madrid for Birmingham is perhaps as realistic as the proposed 12 chimneys.
Nevertheless, Birmingham will be aiming to reach the Premier League by the time this new stadium is built – especially with the amount of investment from NFL legend Tom Brady and chairman Tom Wagner.
When explaining the vision for the 62,000-capacity ground, designer David Manica said: “Chairman Tom Wagner was clear, it had to be four-sided, bold and iconic.
“Compared to other stadiums, it had to be steeper, louder and closer. We’ve never pushed the envelope like we have for this stadium.
“All four stands hug the pitch, as close to the action as possible, there’s not a bad seat in the house.”
Wagner gave his own take on what could one of the largest stadiums in the country, adding: “It’s not high for the sake of high. Because the stadium is big, the engineers said we’re going to need some really tall structures to hold up the roof from above.
“We also need entry points, ventilation shafts and elevators, so our guys said, ‘let's combine the two, make the roof supports do some work, and make them mean something.”
FGG Says: American marketing machine working its magic
Birmingham, who currently play at St Andrew's, have certainly turned a lot of heads with their latest stadium designs, and Bellingham’s reaction probably mirrored the vast majority of fans.
Considering the Real Madrid star appeared on the club’s announcement video, he was never going to blow smoke and give a negative opinion – no matter how many chimneys featured. Nevertheless, it was a nice gesture for the former Blues man to take part in the project, and Birmingham certainly made great use of his star power.
With the American marketing machine behind the club, the Blues continue to get people talking. That can only be a good thing as they attempt to reach the dreamland of the Premier League.