Why Borussia Dortmund's Jobe Bellingham deserves his senior England call-up

The 21-year-old midfielder earned his first senior England call-up after impressing for Dortmund this season, with seven Bundesliga starts and two assists already.

Jobe Bellingham has been rewarded with a maiden senior England call-up from head coach Thomas Tuchel for the November international break after a strong start to the 2026/27 season at Borussia Dortmund.

Now in his second full season at Signal Iduna Park, the 21-year-old has built on last season's foundations with increasingly consistent performances in midfield. He has started seven of Dortmund's nine Bundesliga fixtures, helping BVB level on points with reigning champions Bayern Munich.

His athleticism stands out — he has recorded 589 intensive runs (second-most at the club) and averages 19 duels per 90 minutes, winning 57 percent of them. He has also become braver in the final third, registering two league assists this season (both setting up winning goals for Maximilian Beier) and being directly involved in a shot every 36 minutes, up from every 64 minutes last term.

Dortmund manager Niko Kovač praised Bellingham's dedication and attitude, calling him "a complete football freak" who studies the game to learn from the best. Bellingham expressed his excitement at the prospect of playing alongside his older brother Jude for England, describing it as "a huge dream" they had imagined since childhood.