SOCCER
Who is Jobe Bellingham? Jude Bellingham’s brother impresses in England
The Real Madrid man has been imperious since making the move to Spain, but he’s not the only talented young midfielder in the family.
Jude Bellingham continued his astonishing Real Madrid form with a brace against Osasuna on Saturday, taking his tally for the club to ten goals in ten games.
The 20-year-old is one of the most talented young midfielders in the world, but another member of the Bellingham household is also catching the eye in England’s second tier.
Jobe Bellingham, the Madrid man’s younger brother, has been an ever-present for Sunderland this season, starting all 11 of their Championship matches. The 18-year-old put in an all-action performance in a win over Watford last week and Sunderland boss Tony Mowbray was full of praise for the young midfielder.
“He is very mature for his age. He acts like a seasoned pro, and demands standards. Even in small-sided games, he wants to win,” Mowbray explained.
“He is not in the team because of his name, it is football ability and his competitive edge and athleticism and technique.”
Jobe avoids comparisons to Jude Bellingham
Over the summer Jobe made the move away from boyhood club Birmingham City, where both he and his older brother began their careers in professional soccer. That move away from Birmingham could be an important first step for Jobe as he looks to build a career of his own, away from links to his Galactico sibling.
In fact, Mowbray revealed that Jobe tries to avoid comparisons to Jude: “He doesn’t want to be compared with his brother, but we have coaches here who helped his brother as a 17/18-year-old. They can gauge where he is.”
For any young player, regardless of the talent that they possess, a career in the professional game is full of uncertainty. Mowbray believes that Jobe Bellingham has the work rate to achieve great success in the game, but will not pile pressure on the youngster’s shoulders.
“He works hard every day. As coaches we want to protect him in three-game weeks so sometimes when he comes off it is to give him a break,” Mowbray said.
“We should just enjoy the journey with him and see where he gets to as time rolls on.”