As England prepare to face Norway in Saturday’s quarter-final, renowned food artist Nathan Wyburn has unveiled a giant portrait of Jude Bellingham, crafted from 998 Aldi Breaded Chicken Football Players to kick off celebrations.
The golden artwork took 10 hours to complete in Nathan’s converted studio, with each individual chicken footballer carefully placed by hand to recreate the England midfielder’s unmistakable likeness.
Created to mark England’s place in the quarter-final following their thrilling victory over Mexico, the 84 x 118-centimeter portrait captures one of the nation’s biggest sporting heroes at the height of tournament fever.
Jude scored twice in Monday’s tense match, leaving fans flooding to social media to praise the midfielder.
One excited follower claimed he gave a “Herculean performance”, with another commenting “No words. Simply the greatest.”[1]
The artwork also celebrates the arrival of Aldi’s NEW Breaded Chicken Football Players (£3.99, 600g), which launch in stores nationwide on 16th July.
Nathan has built an international following for creating portraits from unexpected everyday materials, including bucket hats, toast, biscuits and matchsticks. His subjects have ranged from King Charles III and Marilyn Monroe to Oasis and Katy Perry.
Speaking about the latest creation, Nathan Wyburn, 36, who lives in Cardiff, said: “Football fever is sweeping the nation, so it felt like the perfect time to create a portrait of one of England’s biggest stars. I love working with unusual materials, and Aldi’s Breaded Chicken Football Players made a very fitting canvas to celebrate the team’s success in reaching the quarter-final.”
Julie Ashfield, Chief Commercial Officer at Aldi UK, said: “Football always brings people together, and with excitement building ahead of England’s quarter-final, we wanted to celebrate the occasion in a fun and memorable way. Nathan has done an incredible job bringing Jude Bellingham to life using our new Breaded Chicken Football Players and we wish the England team all the best for this Saturday.”
Aldi’s Breaded Chicken Football Players will be available in Aldi stores nationwide from Thursday 16th July.
Please note: Jude Bellingham is not affiliated with this project. The portrait is not endorsed by Jude Bellingham or FIFA.
