It may come as a surprise to some, but Jobe Bellingham’s call-up to the senior England squad has been a long time coming.
The 21-year-old’s career path has been very similar to that of his brother Jude, 23, England’s star player at the World Cup and one of Real Madrid’s best players. Both were academy stars at Birmingham City before making big money moves to the German Bundesliga and England.
Jobe’s Birmingham debut came at the age of 16 years and 107 days, 69 days older than Jude when he made his first appearance for the Blues senior team.
The central midfielder then moved to Sunderland and helped them win promotion to the Premier League before joining German side Borussia Dortmund at the age of 19 in a deal worth up to £31 million.
Jude also joined Dortmund at the age of 17, before becoming one of the best players in the world and joining Real Madrid.
Having one of the best midfielders in the world as an older brother comes with its challenges and Jobe has always been compared to his brother.
But the former Sunderland midfielder is his own player, wearing ‘Jobe’ on the back of his shirt instead of his last name. He said it was suggested to him by a former coach because “it shows I’m on my own path.”
England manager Thomas Tuchel told BBC Radio 5 Live it was “a great story”.
“They are both good for each other,” he added. “I understand they are very close.
“It makes life easier for Jobe to come to camp and know that his brother is one of the key players on our team. So, I hope that helps him, but remember he’s here on his own merits, and he’s not here because of his brother.”
Jobe is a different type of player to Jude, sitting deeper in midfield, but he is just as physically imposing whilst being good on the ball.
He is the current captain of the England under-21 team, and Tuchel said Young Lions head coach Lee Carsley had been pushing for the Bellingham youngster to gain senior recognition for some time.
“He is a remarkable player,” Tuchel said. “He is the captain, so the door must always be open for the way, always open for special performances over a long period of time.
“That’s what Jobe did in addition. He found his way, he found his rhythm with Dortmund. He had an excellent start to the season, he is a regular and influential starter.”
Gn sports
