Birmingham City fans are left baffled by club's decision to RETIRE Jude Bellingham's No 22 shirt

Fans have mocked Birmingham City after they decided to retire Jude Bellingham's No 22 shirt despite the Borussia Dortmund-bound 17-year-old playing just 44 games for the club.

The Championship club made the surprise announcement after Bellingham signed off with a final appearance - a 3-1 home defeat to Derby - on Wednesday evening.

A club statement read: 'The 22 shirt has become synonymous with Jude, his rise to the first team aged just 16 years and 38 days and these qualities.

'And as such the club have decided it would be fitting to retire his number, to remember one of our own and to inspire others.'

So Bellingham joins the likes of Bobby Moore, Diego Maradona, Paolo Maldini, Franco Baresi, Javier Zanetti and Johan Cruyff in having a shirt retired in their honour.

NBA legend Kobe Bryant had two numbers - 8 and 24 - retired by his team, Los Angeles Lakers. Michael Jordan had his No 23 shirt retired by the Chicago Bulls.

But fans reacted with total bemusement on Twitter, branding Birmingham's decision 'the most embarrassing thing a football club has ever done' and 'the most tinpot thing I've ever seen in my life.'

The midfielder completed his £25million move to Dortmund this week with the Bundesliga club announcing his arrival by getting his new team-mates to sing the Beatles song 'Hey Jude'.

Birmingham held a special farewell at St Andrew's after Wednesday's game for a player who joined their ranks at the age of seven and made his first-team debut at the age of just 16 years and 38 days.

'I do love the Club and I struggle to hide how much this Club means to me. I just hope the fans have enjoyed seeing me play,' Bellingham said.

'It will always have a massive place in my heart because it's my club and the club I support, and it's been a privilege.'

But the decision to retire his number - worn previously at City by the likes of Stephen Kelly, Aleksandr Hleb, Nathan Redmond and Carl Jenkinson - was met with ridicule.

One wrote: 'Really nice lad, will have a great career without Blues. One year in the senior team, 4 goals and finishing 1 point above relegation... you don't retire a shirt. Embarrassing!'

Another said: 'There's away fans who have made more appearances at St Andrew's than he has. He's a fan of yours who has played a few games for his club, hardly legendary status.'

Another fan tweeted: 'A very weird decision. Jude, a great prospect, but retiring his shirt makes absolutely no sense. Been many great players play for the club and they have never been 'honoured' in such a way'. I am sure fans of the club will express their views and hopefully the owners will listen.'

Another said: 'How pathetic can we actually get?'