Jobe Bellingham Called Into England Squad Alongside Brother Jude

Jobe Bellingham has been called into the England senior squad for the first time, and for the first time he will be in camp with his older brother Jude. The Football Association named the squad on Friday 6 November, ahead of games against Croatia and Spain.

England host Croatia at Wembley on 12 November, then travel to Madrid to play Spain on 15 November. Thomas Tuchel, the England manager, called the story of two brothers in one squad "incredible".

Jobe is a midfielder for Borussia Dortmund, the German club. He has no senior caps yet. A cap is one appearance for the senior national team, so his first call-up is a first chance to earn one. He is also the current captain of England's Under-21 side.

The brothers share a route. Both came through the academy at Birmingham City, the club's youth system for young players, before moving to the Bundesliga, the top division in Germany. Jobe made his Birmingham debut at 16 years and 107 days old.

Jobe then moved to Sunderland, where he helped the club win promotion to the Premier League, the top tier in England. He joined Dortmund at 19 in a deal worth up to £31m, a figure that includes possible add-on payments. Jude moved to Dortmund at 17 and later joined Real Madrid.

Jude has 60 senior caps for England. He received his first senior squad call-up in November 2020, when he was 17. He is a midfielder too, and he is listed at 6ft 1in (186cm).

One small detail stands out. Jobe wears "Jobe" on the back of his shirt rather than the family name. It is a way of making his own name his own, and it fits a player who has been known as a brother for most of his career.

Jobe is not the only newcomer. Josh King, a midfielder for Fulham, also received a first England senior call-up for the Croatia and Spain games. Ben White, the defender, is named in the squad as well.

Cole Palmer, the Chelsea player, was left out of the squad, according to Reuters.

For Jobe, the next step is a Wembley week of training and a first chance to pull on the England shirt. For Jude, it means sharing a dressing room with his brother for the first time at senior level. For the squad, it means two players who grew up in the same family and the same academy are now working together for their country.