Jude Bellingham's father joins German lower-league club in bid to be closer to son Jobe before scoring twice in 'lethal' debut

Bellingham initially approached the club asking to train with their veterans' team, and officials at Herdecke-Ende were unaware of his identity until they saw his famous surname on his membership application. Club chairman Frank Samson noted he was "totally normal" and approachable. Bellingham has already made an immediate impact, with teammates and club officials praising his fitness and describing his goalscoring ability as "lethal" after scoring a brace on his debut. His arrival has generated significant excitement and media interest around the small club, which is located on the outskirts of Dortmund.  

FC Herdecke-Ende club boss Marcel Schunke said: "Mark's lethal in front of goal. Three goals in two matches and an assist, he’s shown his class straight away. And all of a sudden everyone was speaking English in the changing rooms." 

Jude’s three-season tenure at Dortmund saw him rapidly become acknowledged as a world-class midfielder after joining in 2020. He made 132 appearances, won the 2020-21 German Cup, and was named the 2022-23 Bundesliga Player of the Season before his £90 million ($120m) transfer to Real Madrid. 

His younger brother, Jobe, is at the very beginning of his time at Dortmund, having only joined the club in June this year from Sunderland. Jobe signed a five-year contract and has made several appearances across all competitions this season, including in the Bundesliga and Champions League. He is currently working to establish himself as a regular starter and forge his own path, having initially faced immense pressure and comparisons to his older brother's successful spell at the club. Jobe has scored one goal, which came in the FIFA Club World Cup. 

Bellingham Snr, a former police sergeant, is currently living in Germany and separated from Jude and Jobe's mum, Denise, with whom he spent more than 20 years in a relationship. The boys' parents, who had lived in separate countries for years to support their sons' careers, are now said to be in a "dangerously tense atmosphere". This upheaval is reportedly affecting their younger son, Jobe, who is struggling with personal matters and feeling insecure and pressured in Dortmund. Additionally, the family faces scrutiny regarding Mark's involvement with the clubs; he was recently involved in an altercation with Borussia Dortmund's sporting director over Jobe's playing time, leading to a ban on family members from the dressing room area. The family also faces intense media scrutiny, with Jude hitting out at the press for hounding them.