Dressing room intrusions, killer Klassiker error and how Jobe Bellingham has struggled to emerge from Jude’s shadow at Borussia Dortmund
The good news is that Kovac recognises that, and he is prepared to be patient. “My experience is that when a young player joins a new club – and this does vary – is that it can take three to six months to adapt,” he said in a recent interview with The Athletic. “It takes time, but sometimes people are not fair and expect an immediate, big development. He’s also coming from abroad, where the language and culture were different, and his brother was here, too, so there’s that extra pressure around him.”
Kovac added on Bellingham’s attitude and obsession with football: “As a human being, he’s wonderful. He’s an educated, humble guy, who wants to work hard and to improve every single day, either by watching footage or on training pitch. It’s absolutely what a coach wants. Sometimes I have to stop him and remind him that we play two games a week.
“But I really like it. Not only because of how it helps him, but also because it pushes other players. Sometimes, I say to him that he shouldn’t eat, drink and sleep football, because you need different things in your life to keep your mind free, but everything has been very positive. He’s making steps forward all the time, and he will absolutely have a good career. I’m very happy with him. He’s a top guy, and a very good player.”
The last few months have been a brutal test of Bellingham’s character, but he’s still standing, and could now be rewarded. Pascal Gross was sold back to Brighton at the start of the January window, and Sabitzer has been laid low with a calf injury. As a result, Bellingham played every minute of Dortmund’s 3-2 home win against St Pauli on Saturday, and will be expected to start again when they face Tottenham in the Champions League on Tuesday. A strong showing in north London could put Bellingham back on an upward trajectory, perhaps even reviving talk of a first senior international call-up.
“To play with my brother for England that would be the biggest dream of my life. Nothing would even get close to that,” Jude said on the ‘Out of the Floodlights’ podcast back in 2024. That still seems a long way off now, but Jobe has the platform. It’s just a question of whether he embraces the spotlight or shrinks under it.
