Jobe Bellingham fully deserves his England call-up - and versatile Borussia Dortmund man can perfectly complement brother Jude

It is also a great testament to Jobe's strength of character that he is in this position. Such an opportunity certainly didn't look on the cards in his first few months at Dortmund, as he struggled to force his way into Niko Kovac's starting XI while being pigeon-holed as a number six, despite the fact he was more of a box-to-box midfielder during Sunderland's promotion-winning 2024-25 campaign.

The low points were crushing, too. Bellingham was guilty of an error that led to Dortmund losing a Klassiker clash with arch-rivals Bayern Munich, and got himself sent off in a 1-1 draw with Freiburg. He also had to deal with the fallout of interference from his father Mark, who allegedly confronted Kovac over his treatment of Jobe and his tactical decisions after a trip to St Pauli.

Kovac, however, always backed Bellingham in public, and pointed out that when young players join new clubs, it can often take "three to six months to adapt". The German coach was ultimately proven right, too; Bellingham locked down a regular spot in the team after the turn of the year and played a key role in Dortmund winning 13 of their final 18 Bundesliga matches, which secured a runners-up finish behind Bayern.

"You gain rhythm the more you play, and I feel like I've certainly been able to build confidence and more of a presence by playing more. I'm going to be here for a long time, so I'm happy that I'm building that rhythm," Bellingham told Dortmund's media channel in April. "Every day I want to get better. I want to win every game I play, get on the ball and show what I can do – physically and technically."

Bellingham also highlighted one specific area of improvement, adding: "I definitely want to get forward and contribute in the final third more. That's something I tell myself I need to do more. I enjoy carrying the ball. I always tell myself I want to do it as many times as I can during a game."

Indeed, the physically imposing midfielder only registered four assists in 45 games last term, and didn't score a single goal. Fast-forward to present day and he is still waiting to open his account in the famous yellow jersey, but has achieved his aim of making more of an impact at the top end of the pitch. Per The Athletic, Bellingham is creating chances almost four-times as frequently as he did last season, and has already set up three goals in all competitions.

His 90-minute averages for shots and touches in the opposition box are also up, with Kovac giving him the freedom to push up after the summer arrival of Joey Veerman, who has taken a lot of the defensive responsibility away from Bellingham. Dortmund look a more well-rounded team as a result, going unbeaten through their first nine Bundesliga games to sit joint-top of the table with Bayern, while they've also picked up nine points out of a possible 12 in the league phase of the Champions League.

At the end of October, BVB battled to a 2-2 draw with Bayern at the Allianz Arena, and Bellingham was one of the best players on the pitch. He completed 85 percent of his passes, posted three shots - one of which forced a brilliant stop from Bayern goalkeeper Jonas Urbig - produced 13 ball carries, seven recoveries and three duels wins, and covered 11.3 kilometres before coming off late on.

Dortmund followed up that result in Munich by beating Real Betis 2-1 in the Champions League and Elversberg by the same scoreline on Saturday, with Bellingham impressing in the No.10 role in the former contest. Kovac has been delighted by his development, and was not surprised to see him included in the latest England squad.

"He has truly earned it," Kovac told reporters. "The progress he has made is significant. He has invested a lot, he is very hard working."

Bellingham is not only reaping the rewards from his improvement at Dortmund, though, but also how consistent he's been for Lee Carsley's U21s. After being handed the captain's armband on his 12th appearance for the Young Lions, in a European Championship qualifier against Kazakhstan in September, Bellingham laid on two goals in a thumping 4-2 victory and bossed the game from the middle of the park.

"He was outstanding," Carsley beamed after the final whistle. "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. 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."

Tuchel echoed Carsley's sentiments last week, and felt the need to clarify that Jobe is "not here because of his brother".

"In the Under-21s, he’s a standout player since a long time now. 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," said Tuchel. "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 and Jude are set to become the 22nd set of brothers to represent the Three Lions, but the first to share the pitch since Gary and Phil Neville in 2007. Tuchel has described it as a "beautiful story", and hopes Jude's presence "will make life easier" for Jobe in his first senior camp, while remaining acutely aware that the younger sibling is determined to carve out a distinct footprint.

Indeed, he wears 'Jobe' on the back of his shirt instead of the family name, and is not interested in the "superstar" status that Jude enjoys. "I don’t want to be a big character away from the pitch," he has said. "When I play, I just want to be one of the highest-performing players and get my head down."

Despite the striking similarities in their appearance, Jobe is also a different profile of player. "He's one of five players for central midfield, more defensive than Jude," Tuchel asserted. "Strong on the ball, good physique, big body, very physical player and can keep possession."

Jude, by contrast, is the first line of support for Harry Kane; it's his job to burst forward at every opportunity and try to create openings. That's never going to be Jobe's game, even as his influence in attack improves at Dortmund, but he can complement Jude in a slightly deeper role.

Tuchel will be counting on Jobe to use his imposing physical frame to break up the play and and help England control the tempo. He's a facilitator rather than an individualistic match-winner, and he'll run himself into the ground for the good of the team.

There's a lot of competition for places in the England engine room and Jobe is up against top class operators like Elliot Anderson and Declan Rice, but he boasts the technical quality and athleticism to become a regular for Tuchel, and there's no question that he and his brother are compatible in the same starting XI. He may never emulate Jude's overall impact, but if he can translate his U21 displays to the senior stage, Jobe has the potential to become an England hero in his own right.