Jobe Bellingham: Can the Sunderland starlet become even better than Real Madrid sensation Jude?

It's not just Jobe's older brother who has raised expectations for the Sunderland star. Growing up the pair's father, Mark, was a well-known footballer in his own right. A police officer by day, Bellingham Sr. carved out a reputation as one of non-league's most prolific ever scorers, netting over 700 goals across a 20+ year career.

His seventh century of goals was brought up in 2016 for Paget Rangers, with the striker netting a superb free kick against Fairfield Villa. He humbly told the Non-League Paper after that game: "Most of the 700 were from not very far out so I think I owe my team-mates over the years a lot more than they owe me!"

As Bellingham Sr. was reaching the tail end of this illustrious scoring career, both of his sons were progressing through the Birmingham City academy. While Jude flew through the ranks, featuring regularly for the first team at the age of just 16 and eventually having his shirt number retired when he left for Borussia Dortmund in 2021, his brother was a slower developer.

He was included on the bench for a pair of Carabao Cup games at the beginning of the 2021-22 season, though did not make it on. If he had, he would've usurped Jude as the Blues youngest-ever player. His debut eventually came in January 2022, with Bellingham coming off the bench during an FA Cup tie against Plymouth Argyle. After that game, then-manager Lee Bowyer was full of praise for the youngster, saying: "I said to him: 'You've done really well, you're a 16-year-old lad that dominated the ball, didn't really give it away, tried to do the right things and when you did give it away you ran back, defended in your own box.'"

Bellingham used his maiden taste of first-team action as a platform at St Andrew's, continuing to train with the senior squad and earning more consistent minutes during the 2022-23 campaign. By the time Sunderland came calling in the summer, he'd made 26 senior appearances for his boyhood club, failing to register a goal or an assist during that period.

Having not even turned 18 yet and only boasting a handful of second-tier starts to his name, few would have expected Bellingham to feature from the outset following his move to the Stadium of Light. However, when Tony Mowbray named his first Championship starting XI of the season against Ipswich, there he was, sitting pretty in an attacking-midfield berth.

Sunderland may have lost that encounter, as well as their second game of the campaign away at Preston North End, but there was plenty for fans to get excited about during Bellingham's early career. All this promise clicked into place to devastating effect against Rotherham the following weekend.

Just two minutes after Hakeem Odoffin had given the Millers the lead, Bellingham levelled things up with his first-ever career goal, heading home from close range following good work from Dan Neil. Swiftly after the restart, he netted what would turned out to be the decisive goal, stroking Bradley Dack's lay-off into the bottom corner like a seasoned poacher. For the first time in his career, he was the match winner - Jobe had arrived.

Mowbray lavished his starlet with praise at full time, telling BBC Radio Newcastle: "I think his greatest asset is he wants to learn football. He's 17 but he asks questions every day of the coaches - why am I doing this? Where do I go? What do you want me to do? He's a joy to work with really and I'm just so pleased he's scored some goals and helped the team win."

Since his debut, Bellingham has remained a fixture in the Sunderland first team, failing to feature in just one of his side's opening 21 Championship games. And due to a spate of injuries, he has been used in a string of different positions.

A significant chunk of Bellingham's minutes have come as a false nine, though he's also been used behind a more traditional striker and in a deeper midfield position. It's in this latter role that he has probably endured his least productive displays.

"Due to injuries and suspensions, Jobe found himself operating in a deeper role as a No.8 in a double pivot accompanying Dan Neil or Pierre Ekwah. I do think he did look less comfortable in this role as he's not a naturally defensive-minded player, which probably saw his least impactful minutes," Dan Harrison, a writer and analyst for Sunderland fansite Roker Report, told GOAL recently.

When he's been played further up the pitch, however, Bellingham has had plenty of fun. Predictably, he netted against former club Birmingham in November and also laid on an assist for Abdoullah Ba in a home victory over Watford.

The shock dismissal of manager Mowbray in December might have threatened to derail this progress, with Bellingham telling Sky Sports that the manager played a key role in his development.

"He made me a more mature player in a short space of time. He took away pressure on matchdays for us, and it was such a good feeling. You just feel like you're going out there and expressing yourself. I'm really grateful I got to work with him," he said.

But Bellingham has in fact continued his fine form under interim boss Mike Dodd - who played a pivotal role in bringing the midfielder to the club in the first place, having worked with him and his brother at Birmingham.

Under Dodd, Bellingham enjoyed the defining moment of his career so far against high-flying Leeds, nipping in front of goalkeeper Illan Meslier to head home and earn the Black Cats a vital three points.

Where do you want to start? Bellingham has a unique profile for a player his age, an exciting blend of technical prowess, physicality and composure.

"His natural flair was something that stood out from very early on," Harrison added when GOAL asked about Bellingham's standout qualities.

"Whether that be in his smart ball retention through drag backs or his ability to receive the ball on the half-turn almost anywhere on the pitch and not look pressured in doing so. His biggest assets for me personally are the intangible ones that aren't coachable, his overall awareness and reading of the game are far superior to the average teenager and he has a real knack of popping up in the right place for Sunderland at times this season."

It's easy to see these strengths for yourself if you watch Bellingham in the flesh. It's scary how composed he is in possession considering his limited top-level experience. His physical presence is something to behold too.

Standing five centimetres taller than his brother Jube and filling out significantly since his professional debut, Bellingham can hold off a challenge and win the ball in the air. Team-mate Neil gave a pretty neat summation after his maiden brace against Rotherham, describing him as "an absolute freak of nature, physically."

He added: "Technically, he is a top, top, player as well. He has come here to play in front of 40,000 every week and that is something he is going to have to take on mentally, because we can all see how good a player he is technically, physically, and tactically. It is a different kettle of fish playing up here in front of these fans, but from what I've seen of his personality, he'll take it on just fine."

Bellingham's comfort with playing in front of 40,000+ supporters every week speaks to his incredible maturity. After netting that winner against Leeds, he was put up for media duties and spoke like someone with a decade's experience in the game, calmly analysing the game from a tactical perspective and transmitting leadership skills that also defy his tender years.

It might seem a little harsh, but if Bellingham wants to establish himself as a top-level striker he probably needs to up his goal output somewhat. He's shown this season that he's extremely capable in front of goal, but the very best strikers are more ruthless in the penalty area then he is currently.

There's also been some suggestion that Bellingham is guilty of overplaying at times. Mowbray suggested this trait had been coached out of him since his arrival at Sunderland, but he is still prone to going into 'hero-ball' mode to the detriment of the team on rare occasions.

Defensively, there is some work to do too. Although Bellingham's reading of the game is excellent for a player his age, he is sometimes bypassed a little too easily when playing in a deeper midfield role.

All of this should not detract from how well he's performed following his move and with his work rate said to be exemplary, he's likely to keep improving at a lightning-quick rate over the coming years.

Despite Jobe's best attempts to differentiate himself, most find it impossible not to compare the two brothers, with the strong Bellingham genes ensuring the pair look extremely similar. Their playing styles bear more than a passing resemblance too.

Dodds has done little to quell the comparisons, saying after the Leeds win: "Both brothers have a very similar mindset in terms of their relentless pursuit of where they want to get to. I think [Jobe] can go to the very top. I’ve worked with a lot of young players and he would be up there with the very best I’ve worked with."

Off the pitch, the siblings enjoy a strong relationship. Jobe was pictured front and centre when Jude signed his first Birmingham contract and also when he was unveiled as a Real Madrid player. They mix socially too, jetting off to Paris with Marcus Rashford and Top Boy star Michael Ward for a Louis Vuitton fashion show in the summer.

Despite their clear closeness, being constantly compared to a future Ballon d'Or winner constantly will be tough for Jobe. Jude's global profile means his little brother has nearly two million Instagram followers; a quite startling number for a Championship-level prospect that is only going to grow, and increase the scrutiny on him further. Thankfully for Sunderland, Bellingham's mental strength suggests he is capable of handling the pressure.

Bellingham is destined for very big things if his brother is to be believed. Speaking after being named the 2023 Golden Boy recently, he was asked which young guns he expected to claim the award in the future.

"I'll say three names," he began. "First of all, Arda Guler is a phenomenon, we see him training and we are delighted with him. Then my former teammate Jamie Bynoe-Gittens, from Borussia Dortmund. And finally, my brother Jobe, a thoroughbred striker like our father."

While his brother might see him as a striker, Bellingham himself isn't quite sure where his future lies in a positional sense: "I know playing box-to-box [midfield] is what I enjoy the most, because you can get stuck in and drive forward. I can show more of what I'm capable of in that position, but I do think I have a good skillset as a striker or a No 10. I have an internal desire to score goals, because it's something I want to do. But it has never come from anywhere else. It is a healthy pressure. A motivation."

Long term, it seems most likely that Bellingham will end up playing as a second striker - even if teams that play in this way are few and far between. This position would allow him to get in the box while ensuring he remains involved in build-up as much as possible.

And who will he be playing for? Sunderland fans will be hoping it's in the Premier League with them, but a move abroad is also an option, with Madrid being linked a few months ago.

We should even get to see the Bellingham brothers pull on the England shirt together if Jobe continues to develop at his current rate. Watch out Charltons, Baresis and De Boers - there's a new sibling duo coming for the crown.