The Bellingham name has left an indelible mark on the Championship.

England’s second tier is where Jude made his name and the league forged the global superstar we see before us today.

But that doesn’t mean that there isn’t space for one more Bellingham to write their name into the history books and carve out a journey of their own.  

Being Jude’s younger brother comes with the temptation from others to draw comparisons and set an unachievable benchmark for success, which can prove overwhelming for even the very best.  

However, the stage is set for the Championship to crown a new star.

Jobe Bellingham is Next Up.

Comparison, the thief of joy 

Trying to break away from your brother’s shadow can’t be easy when your rise to first-team football followed a similar path. The Bellinghams both spent time in Birmingham City's famed academy before breaking through at a young age.

At just 15, Jobe was named amongst the substitutes for Birmingham's League Cup tie against Colchester United. When he then made his debut at 16 and 107 days old against Plymouth Argyle, he made history as the second youngest player to make an appearance for the club.  

Who was first? His older brother Jude, who was 69 days younger when he earned his first stripes as a professional.  

After his debut the expected media furore followed, drawing on the parallels between the Bellinghams, pitting expectations on a then 16-year-old sky high.  

“It's unfair to draw comparisons,” Troy Deeney, Jobe’s former captain at Birmingham, told Sky Sports. 

“I don't think any of us could ever put ourselves in his shoes of being a young person trying to find himself in life, and then having a brother that's a world-famous superstar, no matter what you do, you're always going to be compared to that.

“Whenever people talk about Jobe, it's always ‘Is he as good as his brother?’ or ‘Jude was doing this and that at his age,’  Jobe is going to be successful, he already is successful.

“I'm sure he puts that expectation on himself, but it’s quite lazy [to compare him to Jude].

“Sunderland's a massive club, he's 18 and one of the main players, but because you're comparing it to his brother who is at Real Madrid it seems like less, and it weirdly devalues it. Jude’s accomplishments shouldn't devalue what Jobe is doing because a lot of people would give anything just to play to at the level Jobe is at now.”  

From 'Bellingham' to 'Jobe'

Jobe signed for Sunderland on July 14 2023 which coincidently was the same day his brother was named a Real Madrid player.

His brother's Galactico transfer may have overshadowed Jobe’s move to Wearside, but it was one that Deeney felt was the right change for Jobe at the right time.

“I liked it at the time because I think Sunderland is a huge club and their fan expectation is higher than the team is at this point. Their fans expect them to be challenging for the playoffs.

“The manager that he joined at the time, Tony Mowbray had a track record of playing a style of football that suits Jobe.

“They've got Jack Clarke there as well, who is a good, talented young player and I think Jobe needs to be around like-minded people.

“They're a good club in the Championship and they'll be earning very good money. But they’ll feel like they need the Premier League.

“Not only do they want to get the Premier League, they want to go to likes of Manchester United and Arsenal."

Jobe’s displays have put him in the proverbial shop window with clubs in Europe and in the Premier League constantly linked with his signature. Ambition and self-drive are a big part of Jobe’s game and according to his former captain, they are traits that will prepare him for a career in the top flight.

“He knows he should be in the Premier League,”

“There's an arrogance that comes with being self-assured. He knows he does the work, he knows he lives the life. He knows he's putting the work in to be the best version of himself every single day."

Jobe’s aspirations are reflected in the fact that he no longer wears Bellingham on the back of his shirt. He opts for his forename on the back of his jersey instead. The point with that is he doesn’t want to be known as just the ‘brother of Jude’.

Jobe’s manager at the time Mowbray was supportive of his decision to change the name on his back from “Bellingham” to “Jobe”.

"He’s trying to create his own identity,” the former Sunderland manager told press in 2023.

“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.”

Deeney and Jobe shared a dressing room as the youngster had his first taste of professional football. Both players were at the opposite ends of their careers, but Deeney was impressed by Jobe before he had even met him.

Naturally, Jobe’s reputation had preceded him but Deeney didn’t want to initially meet the then 15-year-old just because of the attention, he preferred to observe from afar.

“My first interaction was watching him warm up,” Deeney told Sky Sports.

“Scotty Hogan was giving him some stick. Jobe just turned around at 16 and gave it back to him. Not in a, ‘I'm better than you’ way but like he'd been there for years.

“It was so quick-witted, funny, sharp, but also on a level that was like, 'I don't think I'm bigger or better than you’. That showed me he’s ready for this. A lot of young people come up and freeze when they get around the older lads.

“It takes a few sessions to really show what they can do with a football and to show what their personality. But he was so self-assured. He was like ‘I'm ready for this.’”

‘Breakout year!'

Jobe's proved he's more than ready to take steps up in his career at international level. Since making his England U16s debut in 2021 he has then gone on to represent the U17s, U18s, U19s and in June 2024 he made his debut for the England elite squad, formerly known as the U20s.

Throughout the England age groups, he's taken up a variety of positions including left-wing and in central midfield.

So what is Jobe’s best position? Well, anyone who watched him during the 23/24 Championship campaign would have seen a striker. As a club, Sunderland’s performances left a lot to be desired. While he did face some criticism Jobe was one of his side’s bright sparks.

Jobe hadn't played as a No 9 at senior level, but that didn’t stop him from embracing the role of focal point and leader for Sunderland. Despite showing his versatility, Deeney hopes in the coming season, Jobe can embrace one role and prioritise his own game over others.

“I like him in the 10, personally. I think he's very cute and very smart. He’s probably going to end up being an eight, a box-to-box midfielder that arrives late and scores goals.

“But he's got to become a bit more selfish. He's so interested in winning and the team, which is a great thing, but he has to be selfish if he wants to achieve his own things. There are times you'll see he's in the left-back corner, winning the ball.

“Sometimes, especially last year with Jobe, it took away from his ability to be the one on the end of the goals, be the one scoring or making that decisive pass.”

Who is best to set him that challenge though? Jobe’s former skipper expects him to rise to the occasion during the 24/25 season.

“It's a breakout year for Jobe,” Deeney said.

“What people will look for is statistics. That's the cheap stuff. Those are the easy wins.

“I need to see that everything goes through him now. So, when Sunderland are playing well, they're playing well because of him. If they're playing poorly, he still looks a level above everybody else because he's doing all the right things really well. And then it'll come.

“I know what his goal is because we spoke about it. Jobe has a target to be a big standalone person on his own.”

‘Remember the name’ has become a cliché when speaking about young players breaking through. For reasons outside of Jobe's control, you already know the name – now it’s Jobe's time to show he’s more than just ‘Jude’s brother’.

Jobe Bellingham is Next Up.