Jude and Jobe Bellingham began their senior careers at Birmingham City.
Jude and Jobe generated vital transfer income for Birmingham City and could become England’s first sibling pairing since 2007.
The Bellingham brothers helped secure vital income for Birmingham City and now stand close to a shared England milestone. Jobe could make his senior international debut alongside Jude against Croatia at Wembley in the Nations League.
If both feature, they would become the first brothers to play together for England in 19 years. Gary and Phil Neville last achieved that against Spain at Old Trafford in 2007.
For Birmingham, the occasion would also celebrate two academy graduates whose transfers brought much-needed revenue. The boyhood supporters made 70 first-team appearances between them, although they never played a senior match together.
How the Bellingham brothers helped Birmingham
Jude became Birmingham’s youngest player in 2019, making his debut aged 16 years and 38 days. He later signed a professional contract after turning 17, ensuring the club could collect a substantial transfer fee.
Borussia Dortmund paid an initial £20 million for him in 2020 during the Covid-19 pandemic. Birmingham then received a reported sell-on payment of at least £10 million when he joined Real Madrid in 2023.
Former chief executive Xuandong Ren credited Jude’s contract decision with protecting Birmingham during that difficult period. He said the midfielder had put the club’s interests ahead of simply looking after himself.
Meanwhile, Jobe made his debut in January 2022, aged 16 years and 107 days. He became Birmingham’s second-youngest player and made 26 appearances before joining Sunderland for £3 million in 2023.
His subsequent move to Dortmund brought Birmingham a further reported £4 million through a sell-on clause. Those payments added to the financial legacy his older brother had already established.
Lasting ties to St Andrew’s
Despite moving on, both midfielders have maintained their connection with Birmingham. Fans still wear Bellingham shirts, while Jude’s mural outside St Andrew’s remains a match-day attraction.
Jobe returned to captain England Under-21s in a 2-0 victory over the Republic of Ireland last November. Jude also attended Birmingham’s pre-season friendly against Barcelona in July, wearing the club’s shirt in the stands.
Tilton Talk fan podcast contributor Craig Courtney said supporters valued the brothers’ commitment during relegation battles. He added that a joint England appearance would bring enormous pride to Birmingham.
The club now lead the Championship after 15 games and plan a 62,000-capacity stadium for the 2030-31 season. That follows a difficult spell which included a drop into League One.
For Jude, however, sharing an England shirt with Jobe carries a different significance. In a 2024 social media post, he described that prospect as more meaningful than any trophy.
