England U21 midfielder Jobe Bellingham has transferred from Sunderland to Borussia Dortmund. Following in the footsteps of his older brother Jude, Jobe aims to continue his promising development with the Bundesliga club.
Player Details
Jobe Bellingham
Age: 19 (born 23 September 2005)
Club: Borussia Dortmund
Position: Midfielder
Country: England (4 U21 caps/0 goals)
Key Statistics and Career Path
Inevitably compared to his older brother, Jobe`s career trajectory closely mirrors Jude`s. He made his senior debut for Birmingham City at just 16 years and 107 days old, becoming the club`s second-youngest player ever, only behind Jude. Jobe signed a professional contract with Birmingham in September 2022. After featuring in 22 Championship games (England`s second division), he moved to Sunderland, a club that had reached the play-offs the previous season.
While Jude often visited the Stadium of Light, Jobe aimed to forge his own identity, choosing to wear `Jobe` on his shirt instead of his surname. After a somewhat inconsistent 2023/24 season for Sunderland, where he netted his first seven senior goals across 45 Championship matches, Bellingham played a key part in securing the Black Cats` promotion back to the English Premier League.
Comparisons to Jude are inevitable, and whether Jobe is `better` remains to be seen. However, some statistics hint at his potential. In the 2024/25 Championship season, he recorded four goals and three assists in 40 appearances. Notably, his pass completion rate (12.6% higher), duel success rate (4.6% higher), and dribble success rate (1.7% better) all surpassed Jude`s statistics from his final season in England (2019/20).
Bellingham credited his development to Sunderland manager Régis Le Bris, who joined in summer 2024 and is known for nurturing young talent. Jobe commented on Le Bris: “I realised quite quickly that he was really focused on his work, that he likes to analyse and he gives you a lot of feedback. That`s really good for a player, because you want to know where you are. You want to know – at least I do in any case – how you can improve and become better all the time.”
Jobe was recognized as the 2024/25 Championship Young Player of the Year. He debuted for England U21s in November 2024 at age 19, two years after Jude`s U21 debut. While he might have played in the U21 Euros this summer, he could potentially face his brother Jude if Borussia Dortmund and Real Madrid meet in the upcoming FIFA Club World Cup.
Plays a bit like: Jude Bellingham
The similarities are striking when watching Jobe play. He shares his brother`s build, passing accuracy, tireless work ethic, and knack for influencing a match.
Similar to Jude`s versatility for Real Madrid and England, Jobe was deployed in various roles at Sunderland, including a false nine and an attacking midfielder. However, manager Régis Le Bris primarily utilized him as a box-to-box midfielder.
Le Bris, who included Bellingham in the team`s leadership group, commented on his versatility: “He`s still a young player with the ability to play in many different roles. But I like him as a No 8, because I think he`s an offensive midfielder. He can express his power, his ability to run and his ability to press – to link defence and attack.”
Did You Know?
The father of the Bellingham brothers, Mark, is a former police officer and holds legendary status in English non-league football. His career spanned from 1994/95 in Essex to 2016/17 in the Midlands, retiring at 40 having scored over 700 goals.
What They`re Saying
Dortmund managing director Lars Ricken: “Jobe is an exceptionally talented player who, despite his young age, already possesses remarkable maturity and intelligence. We’re convinced that he fits perfectly with our philosophy of promoting young talent and giving them the opportunity to develop at the highest level.”
Birmingham City manager Lee Bowyer after Bellingham`s debut: “I said to him after the game `You`ve done really well, you`re a 16-year-old lad that dominated the ball, didn`t really give it away, tried to do the right things and when you did give it away you ran back, defended in your own box`. He did a lot of good things and I said `I only gave you that opportunity because you`ve earned it`.”
Sunderland manager Régis Le Bris: “Because he`s young he has big potential in many areas. He has elements to develop, so we can still be surprised by his other qualities.”
