Jobe Bellingham

Jobe Samuel Patrick Bellingham (born 23 September 2005) is an English professional footballer who plays as a midfielder or forward for EFL Championship club Sunderland.

Bellingham began his career in Birmingham City's academy, made his first-team debut as a 16-year-old, and made 24 league appearances before joining fellow Championship club Sunderland in 2023.

He has represented England at all age-group levels up to under-19.

Jobe Bellingham was born in Stourbridge, West Midlands, on 23 September 2005, the younger son of Denise and Mark Bellingham. Mark worked as a sergeant in the West Midlands Police and was a prolific goalscorer in non-League football. Bellingham is the younger brother of Real Madrid and England international footballer Jude Bellingham, who preceded him into Birmingham City's academy where both were to spend their formative years. The 16-year-old Jude was a first-team regular during the 2019–20 season before signing for German club Borussia Dortmund. After Jude's departure, Jobe featured in Birmingham's 2020–21 season kit unveiling.

Birmingham City

At the age of 15 years, 321 days, Bellingham was named on the substitutes' bench for Birmingham's 2021–22 EFL Cup first-round match at home to Colchester United of League One. He remained unused, as he did in the second round of the same competition. Had he made a debut in either match, still a few weeks short of his 16th birthday, he would have become the club's youngest ever first-team player, breaking the record set by his brother in the first round two years earlier. Later that year, rumours linked Jude Bellingham with a return to England; counter-rumours linked Jude's club, Borussia Dortmund, with interest in signing Jobe. By the end of the year he had four goals from nine appearances for Birmingham's under-18 team in their section of the Under-18 Premier League, and had played four times for their under-23s in Premier League 2 Division 2.

Bellingham was named on the bench for the EFL Championship match against Coventry City in November. Manager Lee Bowyer insisted that observers should not judge him by his brother's achievements, pointing out that he was "next in line" because of the number of injuries among the club's midfielders. He again remained unused. He made his senior debut as a second-half substitute in Birmingham's 2021–22 FA Cup third-round match at home to League One club Plymouth Argyle, replacing the 17-year-old Jordan James after 70 minutes with the score goalless and Birmingham reduced to ten men. At 16 years, 107 days, he became Birmingham's second youngest debutant. After the match, which Birmingham lost 1–0, Bowyer said he had earned his debut by the improvement in his game over the previous few weeks training with the first team. He made his first appearance in the Football League a week later as a late substitute in a 1–1 draw away to Preston North End. His next was not until the final match of the season.

In July 2022, Birmingham confirmed that Bellingham would be taking up a scholarship with the club and had agreed terms on a first professional contract, to take effect on his 17th birthday. Under head coach John Eustace, his introduction to Championship football was gradual. He made occasional substitute appearances in the first couple of months of the season, was used regularly from the bench in October, and made his first start on 11 November, playing the first hour of a 2–1 defeat at home to Sunderland. The Birmingham Mail's mid-season assessment highlighted the trust placed in him to "[see] out some very nervy end-of-game situations", while pointing out that the Sunderland match "suggested he still has a way to go to be ready for the step up. Which is fine, he's 17." Eustace was insistent that there was "no rush" to get Bellingham into the starting eleven – the team had several other young central midfielders in Manchester United loanee Hannibal Mejbri and the home-grown George Hall and Jordan James.

A stomach muscle strained in January 2023 kept Bellingham out for three months. During his absence, he added muscle and physicality to go with his increased height. At home to Stoke City on 10 April, he came close to winning the game with what would have been his first senior goal when his stoppage-time volley was blocked. A few days later, Bellingham started the match away to Millwall that Birmingham won to secure their Championship status, "was composed on the ball, intelligent without it and, in the words of Eustace, 'showed great maturity'." He finished the season with 22 league appearances, of which five were starts.

Sunderland

Rumours of a possible move to Sunderland strengthened after Bellingham attended their play-off semi-final against Luton Town. The club's sporting director Kristjaan Speakman, first-team coach Mike Dodds, and head of coaching Stuart English had all been at Birmingham when the Bellingham brothers were coming through the academy, and were credited with a major role in the development of both. On 14 June 2023, Bellingham joined Sunderland for an undisclosed fee.

Bellingham was born in England, and is reported to be also eligible to represent Ireland via a paternal grandparent. He made his debut for England under-16s on 3 June 2021, starting a 6–0 friendly win against Northern Ireland. He made his first appearance at under-17 level three months later in the Syrenka Cup tournament against Romania; he marked the occasion by missing a penalty, but England still won 2–0. He also played in the other group match and in the final, which England lost 3–2 to the Netherlands. In October, he played in all three of England's 2022 European Under-17 Championship qualifying round matches, and provided an assist for Kobbie Mainoo's goal in a 7–0 win against Armenia, as England topped their group and progressed to the elite round.

After eight appearances for the under-17s, Bellingham was included in the England under-18 squad for a four-team mini-tournament at the Pinatar Arena in Spain in September 2022. He started against the Netherlands and Belgium and was a late substitute against the Faroe Islands as England won all three matches. In March 2023, Bellingham played in all three matches of the under-18s' tour of Croatia. Against the hosts, he came on after an hour, scored an equaliser, and England went on to win 2–1. He started and captained the side in the other two matches. His shot was blocked for a penalty that would have tied the scores against Belgium – he took the kick but missed, and Belgium won 3–0 – and he scored the last goal of a 3–1 win against Switzerland.

On 6 September 2023, Bellingham made his England U19 debut during a 1–0 defeat to Germany in Oliva.

Club

As of match played 9 December 2023