Jobe Bellingham has received a surprise first call-up to Thomas Tuchel's England squad for the upcoming Nations League matches against Croatia and Spain, joining his brother Jude on international duty. The 21-year-old Borussia Dortmund midfielder's path to the senior side has included a shirt-name change and a club ban on family members involving his father.
From Birmingham to Dortmund
Like his Real Madrid sibling, Jobe began his career at Birmingham City's academy. He made his debut aged 16 and recorded 24 league appearances before joining Sunderland for £1.5 million in 2023. He played a pivotal role in the Black Cats' 2024/25 promotion campaign before signing for Borussia Dortmund in June 2025 for £32 million.
After a relatively quiet debut season, Jobe has been stellar under Niko Kovac in the Dortmund midfield this term. He has played over 1,000 minutes and set up three goals in all competitions. He is yet to score, but his ball retention and defensive work rate have been key in the German side remaining unbeaten in the Bundesliga thus far.
Creating His Own Identity
When Jobe made his senior debut for Birmingham in 2022 at 16 years and 107 days old, he became their second-youngest first-team player in history. Jude's No. 22 shirt was retired when he left St Andrew's in 2020, and the expectation of having a global superstar as a brother weighed on Jobe.
Two of Jobe's managers at Birmingham, Lee Bowyer and John Eustace, urged people to stop making comparisons, but they continued. So, when he moved to Sunderland, he opted to make a change. The Bellingham surname on the back of his shirt was replaced with just 'Jobe' in 2023.
Then-Black Cats boss Tony Mowbray shed light on why: "I think he's trying to create his own identity. He doesn't want to live off the back of his brother's name; he wants to be the footballer that he is and show people what he can do."
Father's Dressing-Room Ban
Jobe and Jude's father, Mark, was a prolific semi-professional non-league striker, scoring over 700 goals across more than 20 clubs. When the brothers left Birmingham, the parents divided their household, with Denise flying to Germany with Jude and Mark staying to care for Jobe.
Last year, Dortmund were forced to ban all family members from the dressing room after an incident involving Jobe's father. The 2025/26 season wasn't the easiest for Jobe. On his debut, Dortmund were winning at FC St. Pauli 3-1 in the 85th minute but squandered the lead and drew 3-3. Jobe was taken off at half-time.
Father Mark, who serves as his son's adviser, was reportedly unhappy with the change and had an emotional discussion with then-Dortmund sporting director Sebastian Kehl. BILD claims Mark wanted to meet with the manager too, but this never happened. Family members were subsequently banned from the changing room area.
Jobe soon turned things around. He didn't score domestically and mustered just two league assists in his first season in Germany, but he started 29 games across all competitions. Now, his impressive performances this campaign have earned him his first England senior call-up. Jobe and Jude have never played a senior football match together, and Thursday's meeting against Croatia could be the day both brothers step out onto the pitch as team-mates.
