For much of Jobe Bellingham’s first season in Germany, he was viewed as a disappointment. There were mistakes in big matches, meaningful production was limited, and the shadow of his older brother Jude loomed over everything he did. Now, all of a sudden, he’s in the England squad.

His call-up was a reward for months of continuous improvement at Borussia Dortmund, but his inclusion in Thomas Tuchel’s team for the upcoming Nations League matches against Spain and Croatia was still a surprise. So just how good is the younger Bellingham – and is he ready to establish himself as an important part of the Three Lions’ future?

How Jobe Bellingham turned his career around in Germany – and earned his place in the England squad

It didn’t take long for Jobe Bellingham to come under fire following his £26m move from Sunderland last summer. His transfer fee was significant for a club that tends to buy cheap and sell high, and served to heighten expectations – as did his relationship to Jude, who had made such an immense impact at Signal Iduna Park.

The younger Bellingham brother didn’t get off to a flyer. In October 2025, a bad mistake in his first appearance in Der Klassiker, Dortmund’s derby match against Bayern Munich, led to Michael Olise’s decisive late goal and widespread criticism ensued. Head coach Niko Kovač consistently defended his young charge over the course of a slow season – describing him as a “complete professional” following a further round of negative reviews over the winter – but he didn’t have as much influence on matches as anyone would have hoped.

And while he may have made the decision to wear ‘Jobe’ on the back of his shirt rather than his illustrious surname, that didn’t stop the inevitable comparisons from being drawn. Where Jude had been a swashbuckling attacking midfielder who changed games single-handedly, Jobe was far more conservative in his style of play. That in itself was a disappointment for many Dortmund fans who had seen little of him in the EFL.

Since those faltering first steps in the Bundesliga, however, Jobe Bellingham has flourished. Facing Bayern again last week, he put in perhaps his best performance in a yellow shirt yet. His industry off the ball and quick, decisive passing made him among the most influential players on the pitch, and he had what would have been his very first Bundesliga goal disallowed – rightly – due to a foul in the build-up by team-mate Carney Chukwuemeka.

In his debut season, Bellingham rarely made his presence felt on the field. Now he feels like he’s everywhere. He is carrying the ball more effectively, forcing more turnovers, and creating high-xG chances almost four times as frequently this season. He is taking more chances with the ball, having a bigger impact, and his confidence has grown immeasurably.

His work with England’s Under-21s, who he has captained for the last year, has also been a key factor in his first call-up, with his age-group manager Lee Carsley apparently among his champions.

“[Carsley] is speaking very highly of him for the Under-21s for a while now,” Tuchel told the press on Friday when asked about Bellingham’s inclusion in the squad. “He is the standout player.

“I think the door should always be open, and the pathway should always be open, for special performances over a long period of time and that is what Jobe has done. He found his way and his rhythm with Dortmund, where he has had an excellent start to the season. He is a regular starter there and now very influential."

Now he has the chance to step up once more and could get to make his England debut alongside his brother in either of two games which have very low stakes attached to them. It’s the perfect opportunity for a player whose stature is growing at speed – but also a very different kind of challenge.

Is Jobe Bellingham ready to be an England regular?

Jobe Bellingham is, for those who haven’t followed his progress in the EFL or in Germany, a very different type of midfielder than his older brother. Where Jude has developed into a complete number 10, Jobe tends to operate in deeper areas.

Describing him as a defensive midfielder would be doing him a disservice, and it’s in a slightly more progressive role that he has flourished since the summer – he’s now a ball-winning, box-to-box midfielder who divides his time between harassing opposing midfielders in his own half and pushing into the fringes of the final third in order to spark attacks.

That means that he probably won’t be competing for an England place with his brother, but with Declan Rice and Elliot Anderson at the base of the midfield – and it’s Rice’s role, the more aggressive and forward-thinking role, that he seems better suited to. That isn’t an easy place in the team to earn.

It doesn’t help that one of the things which makes Rice so good in that role – his surging runs from deep positions – is an area in which Bellingham is still developing. He also lacks Rice’s lethal deliveries from dead balls.

Bellingham’s long-term task to pin that place down also appears to place him in direct competition with Alex Scott and Kobbie Mainoo, who have been left out of this squad in the wake of a recent injuries, and Adam Wharton, who seems to be out of favour with Tuchel but whose talent is undeniable. The road towards regular caps looks long and very hard indeed.

That’s an apt description of his first year in Germany, however, and he took that particular baptism of fire in his stride. He may not have quite as much swagger in his playing style as his brother, but he has some of Jude’s focus and self-belief. He has the combination of technical quality, defensive nous and capacity to read the flow of a game which suggests a very bright future.

Whether or not he becomes a regular member of England’s squads going forward, Bellingham’s call-up was earned on merit. He has form and talent behind him. Now it’s time to see how far he can go.