Sunderland talent 'absolutely mobbed' by fans after international display, labelled 'big draw'
The Sunderland midfielder made his debut for England U21s on Friday.
Sunderland midfielder Jobe Bellingham was “absolutely mobbed” by supporters following his England U21s debut on Friday evening, according to reports.
The 19-year-old played 68 minutes of a 0-0 draw for the Young Lions before being replaced by Newcastle United starlet Lewis Miley, and gave a good account of himself with a number of typically creative moments. His U21s bow came off the back of a week in which the emerging talent has been at the centre of widespread transfer speculation, with German giants Borussia Dortmund credited with an interest in him by several reports.
And the teenager’s rising profile was reflected by the manner in which he was greeted by supporters after the final whistle on Friday. Daily Mail journalist Nathan Salt took to social media to share a video of the Sunderland man stood outside of England’s team coach surrounded by supporters calling his name and asking for his autograph.
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In an accompanying caption, Salt wrote: “Jobe Bellingham absolutely mobbed outside the team bus. Had more requests for selfies and autographs than any player that played tonight. The big draw.”
A match report from The Guardian also drew attention to the inflated level of interest in the midfielder, with several Spanish ball boys tracking him down after the final whistle. An excerpt from the publication’s summary of proceedings read: “At the end, ball boys holding camera phones had run on seeking out Jobe Bellingham, who had played over an hour on his U21 debut, while players from each side made their way towards familiar faces, of which there were many. This was a friendly that was, well, friendly.”
Jobe’s elder brother, Jude, is a talismanic presence in Spain following his highly successful transfer to Real Madrid last year, and the 21-year-old has previously spoken of his desire to one day represent England’s senior team alongside his younger sibling. In an interview for his YouTube documentary series, he said: “Because we're of a similar age and we've played together for so long - in the street and on tufts of grass - to play with my brother for England, that would be the biggest dream of my life.
“That would mean more than any of the trophies, especially if we managed to do it on a consistent basis and play at a major tournament together, win things together. Honestly, nothing would even get close to that, nothing.”