Jobe Samuel Patrick Bellingham (born 23 September 2005) is an English professional footballer who plays as a midfielder or forward for EFL Championship club Sunderland and the England U21 national team.

[13] At the age of 15 years, 321 days, Bellingham was named on the substitutes' bench for Birmingham's 2021–22 EFL Cup first-round match at home to Colchester United of League One.

[15] Had he made a debut in either match, still a few weeks short of his 16th birthday, he would have become the club's youngest ever first-team player, breaking the record set by his brother in the first round two years earlier.

Manager Lee Bowyer insisted that observers should not judge him by his brother's achievements, pointing out that he was "next in line" because of the number of injuries among the club's midfielders.

[19][20] After the match, which Birmingham lost 1–0, Bowyer said he had earned his debut by the improvement in his game over the previous few weeks training with the first team.

[15] The Birmingham Mail's mid-season assessment highlighted the trust placed in him to "[see] out some very nervy end-of-game situations", while pointing out that the Sunderland match "suggested he still has a way to go to be ready for the step up.

"[25] Eustace was insistent that there was "no rush" to get Bellingham into the starting eleven – the team had several other young central midfielders in Manchester United loanee Hannibal Mejbri and the home-grown George Hall and Jordan James.

[28][29] At home to Stoke City on 10 April, he came close to winning the game with what would have been his first senior goal when his stoppage-time volley was blocked.

[30] A few days later, Bellingham started the match away to Millwall that Birmingham won to secure their Championship status, "was composed on the ball, intelligent without it and, in the words of Eustace, 'showed great maturity'.

[32] Bellingham made his debut for Sunderland on 6 August 2023, starting the team's opening match of the season against Ipswich Town.

[33] He chose to use his given name on the back of his shirt rather than the conventional surname; manager Tony Mowbray thought "he's trying to create his own identity.

[15] He made his first appearance at under-17 level three months later in the Syrenka Cup tournament against Romania; he marked the occasion by missing a penalty, but England still won 2–0.