Archive June 8, 2025

A star in the Birmingham City academy, impressing in the Championship, then a big-money move to Bundesliga heavyweights Borussia Dortmund; Jobe Bellingham’s career is following a very similar path to that of his older brother Jude.

Jobe recently helped Sunderland win promotion to the Premier League – but the 19-year-old midfielder won’t be playing in the English top flight next season.

Instead, in an agreement worth up to £31m, he will join eight-time German champions Dortmund, who finished fourth in 2024-25 to secure a Champions League place.

He will become Dortmund’s second-most expensive signing after Ousmane Dembele in 2016 and Sunderland’s record sale.

Dortmund is a club the Bellinghams know extremely well after Jude’s successful spell there. He was only 17 when the German side paid Birmingham City an initial fee of £25m to sign him in July 2020. It proved to be a bargain.

Jude made 132 appearances over a three-year stint at Signal Iduna Park, winning the DFB Pokal in 2021.

He narrowly missed out on the Bundesliga title as a knee injury meant he was an unused substitute when they drew with Mainz on the final day of the 2022-23 season. Victory would have made them champions for the first time in 11 years.

Jude was named Bundesliga Player of the Season, and within months had joined Real Madrid for an initial £88.5m. He helped Real win the Champions League and La Liga in his first season, and the Uefa Super Cup and Fifa Intercontinental Cup in his second.

Though Jobe is following in his brother’s footsteps by joining Dortmund, he wears his first name on the back of his shirt as he aims to create his own headlines.

“He doesn’t want to live off the back of his brother’s name; he wants to be the footballer he is and show people what he can do. He’s trying to create his own identity,” said former Sunderland boss Tony Mowbray in 2023.

While Jude operates largely as a number 10 – behind the main striker – for club and country, Jobe can play as a defensive or box-to-box midfielder.

In his first season at the Stadium of Light he even deputised as a central forward, although he has maintained his best position is in the middle of the park.

“I know playing box-to-box is what I enjoy the most, because you can get stuck in and drive forward,” he told Sky Sports. “I can show more of what I’m capable of in that position.”

In the 2024-25 season, he played 43 times for Sunderland, scoring four goals and registering three assists.

“He’s still a young player with the ability to play many different roles,” said Sunderland boss Regis le Bris earlier this season.

“I like him as a number eight because he’s an offensive midfielder. He can express his power, his ability to run and his ability to press, to link defence and attack.”

Former Sunderland striker Marco Gabbiadini believes moving to Germany will be a positive for Jobe.

“The Bundesliga is somewhere between the Championship and the Premier League,” said BBC Radio Newcastle pundit Gabbiadini.

“It’s a way of stepping up, maybe a little bit of less pressure. There are some financial advantages of going abroad as well.”

Jobe was 17 when he moved to Sunderland from Birmingham for an undisclosed fee – on the same day Jude completed his move to Real Madrid.

“It was a bit of a surprise when he came to Sunderland,” added Gabbiadini. “Not because we weren’t a big enough club, but because he was such a hot talent.

“Birmingham were in a similar position to us in the league, it wasn’t a massive step up at that stage.

“He’s been very good for us. Do I think he’s as good as his brother? Not from what I’ve seen so far, but there is nothing wrong with that.

Jobe and Jude were both born in Stourbridge in the West Midlands and came through Birmingham’s academy.

But could they be reunited on the pitch in England shirts in the future?

Jude made his England debut four months after joining Dortmund and has already won 43 caps, scoring six times and reaching the final of the European Championship in 2021 and 2024.

Just as Jude did, Jobe has represented England at various youth levels, and has been named in the Young Lions’ squad for the European Under-21 Championship in Slovakia.

Speaking on his YouTube channel in September, Jude said he hoped Jobe could soon join him in a full England squad.

“Because we’re of a similar age and we’ve played together for so long – in the street and on tufts of grass – to play with my brother for England… that would be the biggest dream of my life,” said Jude.

“That would mean more than any of the trophies, especially if we managed to do it on a consistent basis and play at a major tournament together, win things together. Nothing would even get close to that.”

And Jude believes his own success will help motivate his younger brother.

“He has to deal with more than I would have had to at his age, and he deals with it with so much class,” he said.

“He wants to try to create his own legacy and his own path. People will use him as a way to have a dig at me and vice-versa, so we’re almost like each other’s biggest fans but also the biggest target for each other because we care about each other so much.

Although Jobe has been named in England’s squad for this summer’s European Under-21 Championship, if his move to Dortmund is completed by 10 June he could spend the next month playing in the Club World Cup instead.

The 32-team tournament is being held in the United States from 14 June to 13 July.

Dortmund have been drawn in Group F, along with Fluminense of Brazil, Ulsan HD of South Korea and South African side Mamelodi Sundowns.

Real Madrid are in Group H, with Al-Hilal of Saudi Arabia, Pachuca of Mexico and Austrian team Red Bull Salzburg.

If both Dortmund and Real win their respective groups and last-16 ties, they would meet in the quarter-finals on 5 July.

A star in the Birmingham City academy, impressing in the Championship, then a big-money move to Bundesliga heavyweights Borussia Dortmund; Jobe Bellingham’s career is following a very similar path to that of his older brother Jude.

Jobe recently helped Sunderland win promotion to the Premier League – but the 19-year-old midfielder won’t be playing in the English top flight next season.

Instead, in an agreement worth up to £31m, he will join eight-time German champions Dortmund, who finished fourth in 2024-25 to secure a Champions League place.

He will become Dortmund’s second-most expensive signing after Ousmane Dembele in 2016 and Sunderland’s record sale.

Dortmund is a club the Bellinghams know extremely well after Jude’s successful spell there. He was only 17 when the German side paid Birmingham City an initial fee of £25m to sign him in July 2020. It proved to be a bargain.

Jude made 132 appearances over a three-year stint at Signal Iduna Park, winning the DFB Pokal in 2021.

He narrowly missed out on the Bundesliga title as a knee injury meant he was an unused substitute when they drew with Mainz on the final day of the 2022-23 season. Victory would have made them champions for the first time in 11 years.

Jude was named Bundesliga Player of the Season, and within months had joined Real Madrid for an initial £88.5m. He helped Real win the Champions League and La Liga in his first season, and the Uefa Super Cup and Fifa Intercontinental Cup in his second.

Though Jobe is following in his brother’s footsteps by joining Dortmund, he wears his first name on the back of his shirt as he aims to create his own headlines.

“He doesn’t want to live off the back of his brother’s name; he wants to be the footballer he is and show people what he can do. He’s trying to create his own identity,” said former Sunderland boss Tony Mowbray in 2023.

While Jude operates largely as a number 10 – behind the main striker – for club and country, Jobe can play as a defensive or box-to-box midfielder.

In his first season at the Stadium of Light he even deputised as a central forward, although he has maintained his best position is in the middle of the park.

“I know playing box-to-box is what I enjoy the most, because you can get stuck in and drive forward,” he told Sky Sports. “I can show more of what I’m capable of in that position.”

In the 2024-25 season, he played 43 times for Sunderland, scoring four goals and registering three assists.

“He’s still a young player with the ability to play many different roles,” said Sunderland boss Regis le Bris earlier this season.

“I like him as a number eight because he’s an offensive midfielder. He can express his power, his ability to run and his ability to press, to link defence and attack.”

Former Sunderland striker Marco Gabbiadini believes moving to Germany will be a positive for Jobe.

“The Bundesliga is somewhere between the Championship and the Premier League,” said BBC Radio Newcastle pundit Gabbiadini.

“It’s a way of stepping up, maybe a little bit of less pressure. There are some financial advantages of going abroad as well.”

Jobe was 17 when he moved to Sunderland from Birmingham for an undisclosed fee – on the same day Jude completed his move to Real Madrid.

“It was a bit of a surprise when he came to Sunderland,” added Gabbiadini. “Not because we weren’t a big enough club, but because he was such a hot talent.

“Birmingham were in a similar position to us in the league, it wasn’t a massive step up at that stage.

“He’s been very good for us. Do I think he’s as good as his brother? Not from what I’ve seen so far, but there is nothing wrong with that.

Jobe and Jude were both born in Stourbridge in the West Midlands and came through Birmingham’s academy.

But could they be reunited on the pitch in England shirts in the future?

Jude made his England debut four months after joining Dortmund and has already won 43 caps, scoring six times and reaching the final of the European Championship in 2021 and 2024.

Just as Jude did, Jobe has represented England at various youth levels, and has been named in the Young Lions’ squad for the European Under-21 Championship in Slovakia.

Speaking on his YouTube channel in September, Jude said he hoped Jobe could soon join him in a full England squad.

“Because we’re of a similar age and we’ve played together for so long – in the street and on tufts of grass – to play with my brother for England… that would be the biggest dream of my life,” said Jude.

“That would mean more than any of the trophies, especially if we managed to do it on a consistent basis and play at a major tournament together, win things together. Nothing would even get close to that.”

And Jude believes his own success will help motivate his younger brother.

“He has to deal with more than I would have had to at his age, and he deals with it with so much class,” he said.

“He wants to try to create his own legacy and his own path. People will use him as a way to have a dig at me and vice-versa, so we’re almost like each other’s biggest fans but also the biggest target for each other because we care about each other so much.

Although Jobe has been named in England’s squad for this summer’s European Under-21 Championship, if his move to Dortmund is completed by 10 June he could spend the next month playing in the Club World Cup instead.

The 32-team tournament is being held in the United States from 14 June to 13 July.

Dortmund have been drawn in Group F, along with Fluminense of Brazil, Ulsan HD of South Korea and South African side Mamelodi Sundowns.

Real Madrid are in Group H, with Al-Hilal of Saudi Arabia, Pachuca of Mexico and Austrian team Red Bull Salzburg.

If both Dortmund and Real win their respective groups and last-16 ties, they would meet in the quarter-finals on 5 July.

Defending champion Carlos Alcaraz recovered from two sets down – saving three championship points on the way – to beat Jannik Sinner in an incredible French Open men’s singles final.

Alcaraz’s reign on the Roland Garros clay looked to be over when world number one Sinner closed in on victory at 5-3 in the fourth set.

But the 22-year-old Spaniard showed extraordinary fight to win 4-6 6-7 (4-7) 6-4 7-6 (7-3) 7-6 (10-2) after five hours and 29 minutes – the longest French Open final in history.

In an electrifying atmosphere on Court Philippe Chatrier, Alcaraz produced the finest performance of his career to claim a fifth major title.

The world number two had never previously won a match after losing the opening two sets.

Alcaraz is the first man to win a Grand Slam title after saving match point since Novak Djokovic beat Roger Federer in the 2019 Wimbledon final.

Sinner, who was bidding for his maiden Roland Garros triumph, was denied his third successive major after a gruelling, gritty and glorious encounter.

“It’s easier to play than talk now,” said the 23-year-old, who was playing in only his second tournament since returning from a three-month ban for failing two doping tests.

The first Grand Slam showpiece between the two dominant players on the ATP Tour had been a tantalising prospect – and it surpassed the hype.

Both pushed themselves – and each other to the limit – in a classic contest who showcased all of their shot-making, athleticism and resilience.

The majority of the 15,000 fans were jumping to their feet after every point in a thrilling finale, where both players continued to execute top-quality shots that often defied belief.

Alcaraz flew out of the blocks in the first-to-10 match tie-break of the fifth set, sapping every last bit of energy of Sinner before sealing victory with a whipped forehand winner down the line.

He fell flat on his back before Sinner trudged around the net for a warm, heartfelt embrace.

Alcaraz somehow found the energy to sprint off court, climbing up the stands to celebrate with his coach Juan Carlos Ferrero, the rest of his team and family members including his parents.

Defending champion Carlos Alcaraz recovered from two sets down – saving three championship points on the way – to beat Jannik Sinner in an incredible French Open men’s singles final.

Alcaraz’s reign on the Roland Garros clay looked to be over when world number one Sinner closed in on victory at 5-3 in the fourth set.

But the 22-year-old Spaniard showed extraordinary fight to win 4-6 6-7 (4-7) 6-4 7-6 (7-3) 7-6 (10-2) after five hours and 29 minutes – the longest French Open final in history.

In an electrifying atmosphere on Court Philippe Chatrier, Alcaraz produced the finest performance of his career to claim a fifth major title.

The world number two had never previously won a match after losing the opening two sets.

Alcaraz is the first man to win a Grand Slam title after saving match point since Novak Djokovic beat Roger Federer in the 2019 Wimbledon final.

Sinner, who was bidding for his maiden Roland Garros triumph, was denied his third successive major after a gruelling, gritty and glorious encounter.

“It’s easier to play than talk now,” said the 23-year-old, who was playing in only his second tournament since returning from a three-month ban for failing two doping tests.

The first Grand Slam showpiece between the two dominant players on the ATP Tour had been a tantalising prospect – and it surpassed the hype.

Both pushed themselves – and each other to the limit – in a classic contest who showcased all of their shot-making, athleticism and resilience.

The majority of the 15,000 fans were jumping to their feet after every point in a thrilling finale, where both players continued to execute top-quality shots that often defied belief.

Alcaraz flew out of the blocks in the first-to-10 match tie-break of the fifth set, sapping every last bit of energy of Sinner before sealing victory with a whipped forehand winner down the line.

He fell flat on his back before Sinner trudged around the net for a warm, heartfelt embrace.

Alcaraz somehow found the energy to sprint off court, climbing up the stands to celebrate with his coach Juan Carlos Ferrero, the rest of his team and family members including his parents.

James Anderson delivered a second three-wicket haul of his T20 Blast return for Lancashire but it was not enough to stop Northants Steelbacks making it five wins from five to tighten their grip on the top of North Group.

The veteran seamer’s 3-31 at a blustery Old Trafford backed up his 3-17 against Durham at Chester-le-Street.

But the 42-year-old’s sterling efforts could not prevent the Steelbacks totalling 180-6 before restricting Lancashire to 156-9 in reply.

Liam Livingstone’s return to Lightning colours following his Indian Premier League (IPL) victory with Royal Challengers Bangalore saw him take 2-35 and add 18 with the bat as Northants always had the game under their control.

George Scrimshaw was the pick of their bowlers with an impressive 4-19.

Yorkshire climbed off the bottom of the North Group table after posting a first victory of their T20 Blast campaign, beating Leicestershire Foxes by a thumping margin of 106 runs.

Dawid Malan (88 from 48 balls) and Will Luxton (62 from 34) put on 132 for the second wicket and, despite a mini-collapse which saw five wickets go for 31 runs, Yorkshire posted a towering total of 213-7 in their 20 overs.

Former England batter Malan passed 10,000 T20 runs in the process.

The Foxes were never really in the hunt with spin doing the damage, Jafer Chohan taking 4-27 and Dom Bess 2-25.

Derbyshire remain without a win after Bears inflicted a fourth defeat, winning by 58 runs at Edgbaston with Hassan Ali taking 6-23 including a hat-trick.

A half-century from New Zealand opener Tom Latham (58 from 42 balls) helped put Bears in a commanding position at the halfway mark after posting 199-6.

Fynn Hudson-Prentice marked his Derbyshire return with a wicket after signing a four-match loan deal from Sussex and Pat Brown was the pick with the ball for the visitors with 3-40.

But both ended on the losing side as a chase of 200 proved beyond them after a disastrous start which saw them 1-2 after the first seven deliveries and they were bowled out for 141.

England opener Zak Crawley starred as Hampshire Hawks had their winning streak brought to an abrupt halt at the hands of Kent Spitfires who chased down a target of 178 to win by eight wickets.

Tom Rogers (3-33) gave Kent a lightning start with the ball helping to reduce Hampshire to 29-3 but Joe Weatherley’s 63 from 46 balls and contributions lower down the order from Dewald Brevis (24), James Fuller (27) and Benny Howell (23) helped the visitors to 177-7.

But after Daniel Bell-Drummond (61) and Kent skipper Crawley (75 not out from 43 balls) shared a superb 110-run partnership for the second wicket, those defences were never enough.

Tom Helm continued his remarkably consistent Blast campaign as Middlesex finally got their South Group campaign off the ground with a six-wicket win over Essex at Chelmsford.

The Middlesex seamer posted 4-32 from his four overs as the home side were restricted to 156-9, Simon Harmer’s 28-ball 41 lifting them after a disappointing batting display.

Helm’s contribution followed up his 3-29 and 3-29 in his previous two games against Kent and Glamorgan.

The result was never in much doubt after Middlesex skipper Stephen Eskinazi (72) and Kane Williamson (31) put on 97 for the first wicket.

At Hove James Coles continued his outstanding form with the bat and Nathan McAndrew dismantled Glamorgan with the ball as Sussex Sharks downed the Welsh side.

Coles is averaging 98 in the Blast after four innings and his innings of 75 not out was the high point of an excellent display from the hosts with the bat.

Tom Alsop also reached a half-century in 27 balls with five sixes as Sussex posted 195-4.

McAndrew then set about Glamorgan with the ball taking 5-19 in his four overs as Sussex won by 78 runs.

Victory was secured with two wickets in two balls for Tymal Mills as the Sussex captain became the fifth player to reach 300 T20 wickets.

North Group

Riverside: Durham v Derbyshire Falcons

Northampton: Northamptonshire Steelbacks v Bears

Trent Bridge: Notts Outlaws v Yorkshire