Mohamed Belloumi has made Hull City Algeria's new favourite team with his electric start to Premier League life. The winger's two-goal performance in the 2-2 draw at Chelsea last week cemented his status as a rising star and a source of immense national pride.

Maher Mezahi, a prominent voice on Algerian football, captured the sentiment perfectly. "Algerians have a new favourite team," he said. Belloumi's brace at Stamford Bridge made him the fifth Algerian to score twice in a Premier League match and the first since Riyad Mahrez did so for Manchester City in 2023. His style, a left-footed winger cutting in from the right, invites direct comparison to the former Leicester City maestro.

A famous footballing father

The 24-year-old's talent is steeped in pedigree. He is the son of Lakhdar Belloumi, an Algerian legend who scored the winner against West Germany in the nation's first World Cup appearance in 1982. The elder Belloumi, who credited himself with 'inventing' the no-look pass, played over 100 times for his country and famously declared his generation were 'the Brazilians of Africa'. He was at the MKM Stadium to watch his son's top-flight debut against Manchester United on the opening day.

That famous name comes with a quiet, mild-mannered personality off the pitch. Team-mates note Belloumi is reserved but suspect he knows more English than he lets on. He has become more chatty recently with more French-speaking players in the squad, and he regularly converses in Arabic with physio Hashim Ali. Yet with a ball at his feet, he transforms. A dressing-room insider described him as a 'magician', adding that a killer instinct emerges in the final third.

Overcoming adversity

His path to the Premier League was not straightforward. After trials in France, he joined Portuguese side Farense at 19, breaking through after their promotion. Hull City beat Leeds United to sign him on deadline day two summers ago from MC Oran. His early impact was immediate, earning the club's Player of the Month award for September last year before a ruptured ACL a month later halted his progress. Hamstring and thigh issues also hampered him during the promotion campaign, but he delivered key moments, including a goal and an assist in the play-off semi-final at Millwall.

Now fully fit, his importance is clear. Belloumi is Hull's top scorer this season with two goals in five appearances, both coming in that memorable draw at Chelsea. He also provided the assist for Mohamed Ali Cho's consolation in the recent 2-1 defeat at Newcastle. Those contributions have helped Acun Ilıcalı's side to eighth place in the Premier League table with eight points from their opening five games.

The challenge now is to build on that promising start. With Belloumi's magic starting to flow, the hope on Humberside is that Algeria's new favourite team can continue its impressive ascent.

First reported at Daily Mail Sport