Bellagambi looking to build up his CV in non-league football

GIO Bellagambi had no hesitation about joining Hyde United on a three-month loan from Championship club Huddersfield Town.

“I could not turn down the opportunity to come here and get games,” explained the 20-year-old goalkeeper.

The Tigers have joined a growing list of non-league clubs where Bellagambi has spent loan spells – Stalybridge Celtic, Brighouse, Ramsbottom United and Ebbsfleet.

Bellagambi, recently called up by Uganda for African Cup of Nations qualifiers, has seen benefits from loan spells.

He explained: “At this point in my career, it is about building up my CV and showing I can perform at this level.

“The focus here is to perform to the best of my ability and hopefully that will lead to bigger and better things moving forward.”

Bellagambi, who trains once a week with Hyde and the rest of the time at his parent club, believes playing regularly has sharpened his game.

“When you are playing Saturday, Tuesday, Saturday you get into a rhythm, and it definitely helps having a target to focus on,” he explained.

“You are training less and playing more and as a player that is something you want to do.”

Bellagambi, Town’s fourth choice, has appeared on the bench for first team matches and trains regularly with the club’s senior goalkeepers, but has yet to feature for the Terriers in a competitive game – his appearances have been restricted to the B team, which is effectively an Under-23 side, and the U19s.

And Bellagambi believes playing non-league football has made him better equipped for challenges further down the line.

He said: “The level of physicality here is far different to academy football.

“In academies, the ball is played more on the floor and there are not a lot of crosses.

“It is far more competitive and there is more emphasis on scoring goals and winning games.”

Bellagambi, born in London to an Italian father and Uganda mother, qualifies to play for three countries who have all by vying for him.

He has already received an Italy U19 call-up, featured in an England camp for up-and-coming goalkeepers and named in the full Uganda squad for AFCON qualifiers against Algeria and Niger.

“It is nice to have a few countries showing interest in me and a decision will have to be made at some stage,” he continued.

Bellagambi was unable to feature on the bench for the AFCON games because of issues relating to his dual citizenship which had not been resolved.

He said: “It was still a great experience to train with the full squad.

“We had a four-day training camp in Tunisia before our game in Algeria.

“We then flew to Uganda where I spent three to four days preparing for the game against Niger.”

Bellagambi was raised in Croydon and played junior football for Lambeth Tigers, who have close ties with Crystal Palace and have seen 75 of their players join pro clubs in the last five years, and Whyteleafe.

He was several trials at professional clubs in and around London before being signed by Huddersfield aged 16.

Bellagambi believes not being involved in the academy system at a professional club at an earlier age had positives.

Whereas in a professional club’s academy he would have worked with a specialist goalkeeping coach, that was not the case.

“We didn’t have keeper coaches, so I joined in with the outfield players at training which helped me develop more and gave me other strengths,” he explained.

Bellagambi had no issues about moving away from home aged 16.

“I wanted a fresh start and independence. And as a scholar at Huddersfield, it was enjoyable playing every week,” he said.

“I was very grateful to Huddersfield, a family club, who have helped me develop as a player and person. I have grown up a lot since joining them.”

Bellagambi, because of his Italian roots, selects legendary Gianlucca Buffon, still playing in Serie B aged 44, as a goalkeeping idol along with Germany’s Manuel Neuer.

“Neuer is someone on whom I base my game because of his presence, shot stopping, ability on the ball, being effectively a sweeper, playing the ball out from the back and being able to play a high defensive line which makes him the ultimate modern-day goalkeeper,” he said.