Sports

Jobe Bellingham Earns England Call‑up After Steady Rise Through German League

By Alex Howell, Constantin Eckner

Jobe Bellingham, 21, has been called up to the England senior squad, a milestone that has long been anticipated. The 23‑year‑old Jude Bellingham, England’s World Cup star and a key player for Real Madrid, has followed a similar path: both began at the Birmingham City academy, moved to the German Bundesliga, and earned England call‑ups.

Jobe made his Birmingham debut at 16 years and 107 days, 69 days older than Jude’s first senior appearance for the club. He later joined Sunderland, helped them gain promotion to the Premier League, and signed for Borussia Dortmund at 19 in a deal worth up to £31 million. Jude moved to Dortmund at 17 before establishing himself as one of the world’s best midfielders and joining Real Madrid.

England manager Thomas Tuchel described the brothers’ story as "beautiful". He said they are close, which eases Jobe’s integration into the squad, but emphasized that Jobe is selected on his own merits. Tuchel noted Jobe’s role as a deeper‑lying midfielder, his physical presence, and his current captaincy of the England Under‑21 side.

Jobe’s progression at Dortmund has been notable. After a cautious start, he has become a regular starter, showing faster decision‑making and higher intensity. Manager Niko Kovac has used him in an advanced role, sometimes as a number 10, and praised his performance in a 2‑2 draw against Bayern Munich.

England will host Croatia at Wembley on 12 November and play Spain in Madrid on 15 November. With Myles Lewis‑Skelly suspended and Alex Scott injured, Tuchel sees an opportunity for Jobe to make an impression.

The Bellingham brothers are not the first siblings to play for England. The Neville brothers, who last played together in 1996, and the Charlton brothers, who debuted in 1966, are earlier examples. More recently, Nathaniel and Trevoh Chalobah have both earned caps, though not simultaneously.

Jobe’s development since joining Dortmund has been attributed to increased muscle mass, regular playing time, and a more advanced tactical role, all contributing to his growing influence on the pitch.