Headline: Brothers Jude and Jobe Bellingham May Create History with England Appearance
It has been six years since Jude Bellingham played his last match for Birmingham City, and three years since younger brother Jobe donned the club’s colors for the last time. Jude, at 23, is making waves at Real Madrid after a stint with Borussia Dortmund, while 21-year-old Jobe is furthering his career at his brother’s former German club after two seasons at Sunderland.
The siblings, both from Stourbridge, have advanced in their football careers, leaving behind cherished memories at St Andrew’s, where their contributions during their time in the Championship had a significant impact. Fans continue to celebrate the duo, often stopping for photos beside Jude’s mural outside the stadium and attending matches in Bellingham shirts.
“They both had a real connection with fans,” Craig Courtney, from the Tilton Talk fan podcast, mentioned to BBC Sport. “Fans loved the fact they both cared. They wore their hearts on their sleeves and helped Birmingham when we were fighting relegation. Even now, Jude and Jobe remember where it all started for them.”
During their tenure, the brothers collectively contributed to 70 league and cup games for Birmingham after transitioning through the academy. However, they never had the chance to play together in a senior match since Jude had departed by the time Jobe entered the first team in 2022.
That could change on Thursday. If Jobe earns his first cap and plays alongside Jude—who has made 60 appearances—during the Nations League game against Croatia at Wembley, they will become the first brothers to represent England together in 19 years.
“It will be an incredibly proud moment for Birmingham City if that happens,” remarked Courtney.
Despite challenging times in recent years, including 15 years without Premier League play and a brief descent to League One, the mood around St Andrew’s is now more positive. Currently, Birmingham sits at the top of the Championship after 15 matches, with plans for a new 62,000-capacity stadium set for completion by the 2030-31 season.
“As a club, we’ve been right down in the doldrums. Now we’re top of the table and having a new stadium built,” added Courtney. He believes that much of the club’s current success owes itself to the transfer fees received from Jude and Jobe’s moves.
Jude became Birmingham’s youngest player ever when he debuted at the age of 16 years and 38 days in 2019. His decision to sign a professional contract post-17 was pivotal in ensuring a substantial transfer fee once he departed, eventually moving to Dortmund for an initial fee of £20 million during the pandemic. Upon his transfer to Real Madrid in 2023, Birmingham benefitted from a sell-on fee of at least £10 million.
“Without Jude’s decision [to sign a contract], we cannot possibly imagine where we would be as a club during a pandemic,” then-chief executive Xuandong Ren reflected after Jude’s transfer.
Jobe followed suit as Birmingham’s second-youngest player, debuting in January 2022 at 16 years and 107 days old. Despite living in Jude’s shadow, former player Troy Deeney indicated that Jobe’s determination and talent would pave his own path: “He never got that one moment to enjoy something without someone comparing him to Jude… That only added to how strong he was mentally.”
In total, Jobe featured in 26 games before Sunderland secured his services for £3 million in 2023, alongside a reported £4 million sell-on fee when he transferred to Dortmund two years later.
Both Jude and Jobe have made returns to St Andrew’s since their exits. Jobe notably captained the England Under-21s to a victory on his old ground, where his work ethic has been praised. Jude, seen sporting his old Birmingham shirt during a friendly against Barcelona in July, remains closely connected to his roots.
In a heartfelt expression, Jude recalled, “We’ve played together for so long in the street and to play with my brother Jobe for England would be the biggest dream of my life.” If they manage to play together against Croatia, they will be the first siblings to do so for England since Gary and Phil Neville in 2007, marking a significant milestone for their family and Birmingham City.
