Thomas Tuchel urged to call up Jobe Bellingham after Dortmund’s Derby

Jobe Bellingham’s display for Borussia Dortmund against Bayern Munich on Saturday has thrust him into the England senior squad conversation, with Thomas Tuchel being urged to include the 21‑year‑old after the VAR decision denied him a first Bundesliga goal.

Jobe Bellingham has put himself in contention for a senior England call‑up after his best performance in a Borussia Dortmund shirt. The younger brother of Jude looked to have given Dortmund the lead in Der Klassiker when he swept home after half an hour. Jobe has helped Dortmund to joint‑top of the Bundesliga summit with Bayern Getty.

Second‑half drama

Carney Chukwuemeka’s foul on Bayern goalkeeper Jonas Urbig meant that Jobe’s celebrations were cut short. Nevertheless, Jobe impressed in his all‑round performances during the 87 minutes he was on the pitch with the champions. This contrasted with his last game against Bayern three months earlier, when he made a costly error in a 2‑1 defeat in the Supercup. Jobe has registered two assists in eight Bundesliga games this term, six of which have been starts. The Three Lions Under‑21 captain is now banging on the door to join his elder sibling in Thomas Tuchel’s senior squad this week.

Call‑up speculation

Andy Brassell told that “Obviously, with his time at Dortmund so far being just really sort of submerged by the sort of pressure that no player of his age should have to go through… Why not go the whole hog and stick him in the England squad as well?” Jobe endured a baptism of fire following his £31 million switch to Dortmund after helping Sunderland seal Premier League promotion. He struggled at the start to cement his place in Dortmund’s XI, and manager Niko Kovac claimed he wasn’t “doing himself any favours”. Off‑field, Jobe’s father Mark held a heated discussion with former sporting director Sebastien Kehl on the opening day of last season. Linked with a loan move away, Jobe knuckled down to earn Kovac’s trust and is now reaping the rewards. Brassell noted that when Jobe arrived 17 months ago he was new to the country, league and top‑division football, making a big leap. Kovac, who looks for players with “four lungs” and technical excellence, said “Forget about the numbers”. He believes Jobe fits his mould, especially after the squad changes this summer. Dutch midfielder Joey Veerman, who joined Dortmund from PSV Eindhoven in August, has been on the bench more often than not, partly because of Jobe’s form. Brassell said the competition has helped Jobe excel and that his desire to play every game is a good balance. He described Jobe’s performance against Bayern as his best for Dortmund by a long way. Jobe Bellingham has played a key part in Dortmund being joint top of the Bundesliga.