Jobe Bellingham's football career is strikingly similar to that of his big brother Jude, from the unusual Birmingham-to-Dortmund route right down to their distinctive rangey stride, and so far it has been a case of, anything you can do, I did it faster, better, with a little more panache. But there is one thing Jude didn't tick off on his meteoric rise – he never captained England Under-21s.
Proudly wearing the armband in September, Jobe shone in a 4-2 comeback win over Kazakhstan in qualifying for next year's U21 Euros. It was another sign that the 21-year-old's development is rapidly accelerating.
"He was outstanding," U21s manager Lee Carsley said. "I went to watch Jobe a couple of weeks ago in Dortmund, and he's progressing so quickly. Physically he's grown. He's definitely got that strength in his legs. He's moving the ball so well and his footwork has really improved. The way he's moving the ball, taking opponents on, and using his strength and balance … he was always a good player, but now he's going through the levels."
Jobe Bellingham has been outstanding for England U21s (PA)
That, Thomas Tuchel stressed in his Wembley press conference on Friday, was the primary reason for Jobe's first call-up to the senior England squad , a landmark earned "on his own merit". The Bellingham brothers are both included in the 25-man group to face Croatia here on Thursday and Spain in Madrid on Sunday, as England – who have virtually qualified for the Nations League quarter-finals in March – go all out to win Group A3.
"Lee is speaking very, very highly of him," Tuchel explained. "In the Under-21s, he's a standout player since a long time now. He's the captain. So I think the door should always be open for that pathway, for special performances over a long period of time, and that's what Jobe has done.
"He has also found his rhythm with Dortmund; he's had an excellent start to the season. He's a regular starter now there and very influential. So there's an opportunity coming on his own merit. Jobe deserves to make an impression and that's why we're glad to have him in camp and see what he can do for us."
Jobe wears his first name on the back of his shirt, partly in an effort to distinguish himself from his brother, now a fully fledged galactico at Real Madrid who shone at the 2026 World Cup and already has 60 international caps to his name at 23.
"When I signed for Sunderland, it was suggested to me by someone, a special coach I had there," Jobe explained. "I was still young and thought it was cool to have my own name on the back. It didn't have any deeper meaning, but it's become something unique. It shows that I'm going my own way. Some people don't like it – I don't care."
The comparisons, of course, are inevitable. Both brothers made their debuts for Birmingham City aged 16 before moving to Dortmund – Jude aged 17 in a £25m transfer, Jobe via a successful two-season stint at Sunderland where he won Championship Young Player of the Season, later moving to the German club aged 19 for £28m.
Jobe has made a strong start to the Bundesliga season for Dortmund (Getty)
Anyone would think Jobe might choose a different club in order to carve his own path, but he recognised that it would be damaging to make career choices simply to avoid his brother's footprints, even if he had "fears" before joining Dortmund, where Jude grew into a global star. "It's not about being different," Jobe said. "It's about doing the right thing."
The brothers are close. They spent every possible minute of their childhood playing football on a small square of grass outside the family home in Stourbridge, up until it got dark. "Every game we played, we always said it was the Champions League final," said Jude in 2022, two years before winning the actual Champions League final with Real Madrid. "We'd make up teams and make up stadiums that we'd play in. We must have played about 1,000 Champions League finals on that little patch of grass."
They are both fast, strong and physically imposing central midfielders, standing 6ft plenty, with huge technical ability, coached into them by their father Mark, who had a nomadic career as a prolific striker in non-league football. Incidentally, Mark Bellingham has been starring for England recently too, after scoring seven goals on his debut for the England Over-50s Veterans in a 13-1 win against the Republic of Ireland.
The Bellingham brothers are close off the pitch (PA)
But there are also differences in how they play the game. Jude's strengths are in an advanced No 8 or No 10 role, surging forward with the ball at his feet, gliding past tacklers, holding off markers and impacting the game with goals. Jobe is more of a traditional box-to-box midfielder with an excellent reading of the game, someone who sits a little deeper and can lay a platform for more attacking teammates.
"He's a more defensive player than his brother Jude," said Tuchel. "So strong on the ball, good physique, a big body, a very physical player who can keep possession."
There is another difference. Jobe is an altogether more low-key figure, and has said he does not wish to "be a superstar... I don't want to be a big character away from the pitch. When I play, I just want to be one of the highest-performing players and get my head down."
Jobe now has the opportunity to begin his own journey as an England international. He will do so not as Jude's younger brother, but as a midfielder who has earned his chance. Though if he does make his senior debut, Jobe might just happen to have his biggest fan beside him. "As long as he's happy, that's all I really care about," Jude said recently. "His happiness means more to me than my own."
Goalkeepers: Jordan Pickford, Jason Steele, James Trafford.
Defenders: Jarrad Branthwaite, Marc Guehi, Lewis Hall, Ezri Konsa, Jarell Quansah, Djed Spence, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Ben White.
Midfielders: Elliot Anderson, Jobe Bellingham, Jude Bellingham, James Garner, Josh King, Myles Lewis-Skelly, Declan Rice.
Forwards: Harry Kane, Dominic Calvert-Lewin, Eberechi Eze, Morgan Gibbs-White, Anthony Gordon, Rio Ngumoha, Morgan Rogers
