Tuchel calls up Jobe Bellingham to fulfil Jude's dream of playing together for England

Thomas Tuchel has handed Jobe Bellingham his first senior England call-up, setting the stage for the Bellingham brothers to appear together in an England shirt for the Nations League — a prospect Jude publicly described as “the biggest dream of his life” more than two years ago.

Tuchel was visibly enthusiastic when discussing the call-up at his press conference, at one point accidentally merging the brothers’ names into “Jube” before catching himself with a laugh. “I was aware it was always his dream,” the England head coach said. “I saw Jobe once — I think he watched training very early in my reign. He came over and watched his brother train. We chatted and we said, ah, it would be nice if one day you are with him, Jude. I think it will be beautiful for Jude to have his brother close and in camp and to have this experience together. It’s a very special moment for them of course.”

Should both brothers feature in the same starting XI, they would become the first siblings to do so for England since Gary and Phil Neville. The pair came through Birmingham City’s academy together but have never played competitively alongside each other, despite spending countless hours together as children.

Jude, 21, has established himself as England’s most influential player since a breakout World Cup in Qatar accelerated his rise to Real Madrid superstar. Jobe, two years his junior, took a similarly bold path — moving first to Sunderland before joining Borussia Dortmund, where he has since become a regular starter and captained the England under-21 side last month.

The brothers were due to face each other at the Club World Cup when Real Madrid met Dortmund, but a suspension ruled Jobe out of that fixture. Their graduation to sharing an international squad feels like the natural next chapter.

Both have been guided closely by their parents Mark and Denise. Their father Mark underlined the family’s footballing pedigree last month when he scored seven goals for an England veterans over-50s side against the Republic of Ireland.