Thomas Tuchel hands Jobe Bellingham chance to carve his own path as an England star

Jobe Bellingham earns his first senior England call-up on merit after captaining the U21s and impressing at Dortmund this season.

Jobe Bellingham has been called up to the senior England squad for the first time, selected by Thomas Tuchel for Nations League matches against Croatia and Spain. The 21-year-old earned the opportunity through his performances as captain of the England Under-21s and his strong start to the season at Borussia Dortmund, where he is now a regular starter.

Tuchel emphasised that Bellingham's selection was based entirely on merit, following praise from U21s manager Lee Carsley, who highlighted his physical development, improved footwork, and ability to take on opponents. Jobe follows his brother Jude's path from Birmingham City to Dortmund, though he took a different route via a two-season spell at Sunderland, where he won Championship Young Player of the Season before joining Dortmund aged 19 for £28m.

Jobe has deliberately worn his first name on his shirt to distinguish himself from his brother, now a Real Madrid player with 60 England caps. Despite the inevitable comparisons, Jobe said he made career decisions based on what was right rather than trying to be different from Jude, and the brothers remain close after spending their childhood playing football on a patch of grass in Stourbridge.