Jobe Bellingham: Position, style of play, stats, transfer rumours & more

Attempting to forge a successful professional career of your own when you're the younger brother of Jude Bellingham is a thankless task.

While Jobe Bellingham has accepted his fate of being subjected to endless comparisons with his elder sibling, the 19-year-old made waves of his own accord in the Championship with Sunderland.

Opting to depart his boyhood club Birmingham City aged 17 in favour of a fresh venture, Bellingham established his own identity on Wearside - and that's not just the result of him having his first name emblazoned on the back of his shirt.

Boasting a strong frame, the versatile midfielder is a proficient passer that oozes composure. Evolving into an indispensable member of Regis Le Bris' outfit, Borussia Dortmund became aware of his talent, signing the midfielder for a £27.8m fee with high hopes that he can emulate his brother.

We analyse Bellingham's credentials and assess what his future holds in the latest of our In Focus series.

Jobe Bellingham age, nationality & background

Jobe Bellingham is 19 years old and celebrates his birthday on 23rd September 2005.

Born in Stourbridge, West Midlands, Jobe is the son of Mark and Denise Bellingham and the younger brother of Real Madrid star Jude Bellingham.

Jobe Bellingham attributes

Position

Predominantly a box-to-box midfielder, Bellingham has showcased an aptitude at performing in a variety of roles.

Ranging from a number 10 in a 4-2-3-1, a number eight in a 4-3-3 and even operating in a double pivot, Bellingham possesses a broad skillset.

Height and build

Bellingham is 191cm (6'2") and of a slender build.

Preferred foot

Bellingham is right-footed.

Style of play

Operating exclusively in the central spaces, Bellingham is a shrewd protector of the ball and enables his team to transition through a pass or dribble.

Flaunting extreme composure in congested areas, he has the ability to play a penetrating pass, switch it effectively or retain possession by playing simple.

If a pass isn't on, Bellingham displays a graceful running style which mirrors that of his brother. The midfielder can weave through defenders with his close-knit control and loves to chop inside onto his stronger right foot.

Bellingham's also developed a knack of timing runs into the penalty area which have resulted in the midfielder fashioning an abundance of shooting opportunities.

When out of possession, Bellingham relishes duels and throws himself into tackles with great commitment, while showcasing the tactical nous to foil opposition attacks by intercepting passing lanes.

Jobe Bellingham stats

Metric	Total (Per 90)	Rank
Goals/Shot on Target	0.44	Top 18%
Touches (Att Pen)	1.64	Top 21%
Aerials Won	1.77	Top 14%
Shot-creating action (shot)	0.23	Top 11%
% of Dribblers Tackled	61.4%	Top 10%

(Source: FBref.com based on comparison to positional peers in Men's Next 14 Competitions over the last 365 days.)

Jobe Belliingham career so far

Previous clubs

Bellingham followed in the path of his brother and progressed at Birmingham City's academy before making his first-team debut at 16 years and 107 days, becoming the club's second youngest debutant.

Signing professional terms prior to his 17th birthday, Bellingham's introduction to Championship football was gradual under John Eustace and a muscle strain kept him sidelined for three months from January.

More frequent opportunities arose on his return from injury and Bellingham starred in a win over Millwall which preserved Birmingham's Championship status, before the midfielder made the switch to Sunderland in the summer.

Impressing for the Championship outfit, it was more than just the name that captivated Borussia Dortmund, signing Bellingham for a £27.8m fee that minimally exceeds his brothers price tag of £25m when he made the switch to the Bundesliga side.

International career

Bellingham has represented England at every level from U16 up to the U21 side.

The midfielder featured prominently in the U17s run to the Syrenka Cup final, where they were defeated by the Netherlands.

Murmurs of a senior call-up have already circled, and he will be keen to impress in Germany ahead of the 2026 World Cup.

Jobe Bellingham: What they said

He has a really good mentality, thinks like me. He’s a really good young player, so I get a lot from him as well.

Jude Bellingham, Real Madrid and England midfielder

I'm delighted to now be a Borussia Dortmund player and to be fighting for titles with this great club

Jobe Bellingham, Borussia Dortmund midfielder