“Completely fallen in love” – Sunderland’s Mike Dodds Emotionally speaks out on Jobe, Jude Bellingham situation
The Sunderland interim head coach has spoken about the struggles that the 18-year-old faces
Mike Dodds has spoken about the struggles that Sunderland teenager Jobe Bellingham has had to go through in his young career, as he compares him to his older brother Jude.
That opening line, in and of itself, goes a long way to explaining the issues and hurdles that the 18-year-old has had – and will have – to overcome.
Last week, he travelled down from Wearside to Manchester to watch his brother play for Real Madrid for the first time. They both made moves in the summer, with Jude making the switch from Germany to Spain, as he departed Borussia Dortmund to join Los Blancos for an up-front fee of £88.5 million, as per Sky Sports.
His younger brother’s move was very significant for him, as, like Jude did, he left his boyhood club, Birmingham City, to try and advance his career at a very young age. The 17-year-old at the time joined the Black Cats for £2 million from the Blues, according to The Athletic.
A few days prior to his trip to Manchester, where he watched Jude score a penalty to help Real get past Manchester City and advance to the Champions League semi-final, Jobe led the line for his side in a gritty 1-0 win over West Bromwich Albion.
It was his 42nd league appearance of the season, in a campaign where he has had to be a jack of all trades for Sunderland.
| Jobe Bellingham’s stats in the 23/24 Championship campaign | |
|---|---|
| Apps | 43 |
| Starts | 41 |
| Goals | 7 |
| xG | 6.92 |
| Assists | 1 |
| xA | 3.49 |
| Passes completed per game | 25/7 (87%) |
| Average match rating (/10) | 7 |
| Stats taken from Sofascore – correct as of 23rd April | |
His efforts certainly cannot be questioned, and, in some ways, him scrapping in and around the mid-table of the second tier isn’t doing him much good in the eyes of many who are attracted to the glitz and glamour of what Jude is doing at the Bernabeu.
Mike Dodds comments on Jobe Bellingham’s Sunderland situation
The interim head coach has stressed how hard it is for Jobe to live his life, and to be recognised for being himself, rather than the younger brother of one of the world’s best players.
“It’s difficult for me to comment, but I don’t think anyone will truly understand what it is like to be Jobe – if he goes anywhere in the world, he’s Jude’s brother, he’s not Jobe,” said Dodds, via the Northern Echo.
“Him having his own identity is something he desperately craves. I’m sure as he gets older, and he gets more accolades, and he does wonderful things in football, he’ll be appreciated for who he is.”
The 18-year-old wears his forename above the number seven on the back of his Sunderland top, as opposed to Jude, who has the family name above Real’s iconic number five. But what also isn’t helping Jobe is his lack of identity as a footballer, something which he has admitted to himself.
“At the minute I’m just learning because I have no idea what position I am,” said the young Sunderland talent. Dodds added: “He’s desperately fighting to be recognised for him. It’s always going to be a battle for him. That’s the reality. But everyone [here] is doing their part.
“I think the group and the staff are really understanding of Jobe’s situation. We don’t discuss the brother stuff with him at all, if he wants to discuss it, that’s up to him.”
The interim boss feels that the good connection that the number seven has struck with those inside the Stadium of Light is because they have appreciated him for him and his performances on this pitch, not for his surname.
The 37-year-old continued: “He’s so happy with the decision he made last summer, he’s said that to me personally. It’s a perfect club at the perfect time for him.
“I’m sure this part of the world will be forever in his heart. He’s completely fallen in love and I think the Sunderland fans have been unbelievable with him.”
Jobe Bellingham will step out of Jude’s shadow one day
To have such an unfair comparison made of you before you even technically become a professional player, as Dodds pointed out when speaking to the media – the 18-year-old is still a second-year scholar – is an immense amount of pressure to have on your shoulders.
Very few people in world football are comparable to Madrid’s English midfielder, who, like his brother, has been used in a more advanced position than some would have expected.
So, to look at the two Bellinghams and size one up against the other is unfair, but the teenager will become a star in his own right soon enough.
He has shown so much promise at this early stage of his career, and, with the family that he has behind him, giving him proper guidance in his career, it feels like a matter of time, and maybe a touch of maturity, before the masses start to see Jobe for being a brilliant footballer, and not just the brother of Jude.
