Sunderland’s Dan Neil has been hugely impressed with Jobe Bellingham since the youngster arrived on Wearside
Dan Neil has branded teenager Jobe Bellingham a ‘freak of nature’ for his imposing physique – and has backed him to handle the pressure of playing for Sunderland. Midfielder Bellingham hit his first goals since moving to Wearside – and his first in senior football – as he scored a brace to earn the Black Cats a 2-1 win against Rotherham United at the Stadium of Light at the weekend.
The 17-year-old joined Sunderland from Birmingham City over the summer and has immediately become a regular starter in Tony Mowbray’s side. Homegrown midfielder Neil has had a close-up view of Bellingham in training and on matchdays and he has been hugely impressed by not only the youngster’s physical attributes, but also his skill and technique.
“He makes me look like a 17-year-old!” grinned 21-year-old academy graduate Neil. “He’s an absolute freak of nature, physically.
“I have never seen a 17-year-old that size. Technically, he is a top, top, player as well.
“He has come here to play in front of 40,000 every week and that is something he is going to have to take on mentally, because we can all see how good a player he is technically, physically, and tactically. It is a different kettle of fish playing up here in front of these fans, but from what I’ve seen of his personality, he’ll take it on just fine.”
Bellingham certainly has the family pedigree, with elder brother Jude – who also started out at Birmingham – already established in the England set-up and having made a move from Borussia Dortmund to Real Madrid this summer that could be worth up to £114m. Mowbray praised Jobe at the weekend, saying the youngster can play in multiple midfield roles and is keen to learn.
He said: “I think he can play wide, he can play like a six and be one of two holding midfield players, he can obviously run and be like a running eight, I started him as a ten against Rotherham and then pushed him as a nine. His greatest asset is that he wants to learn football.
“He’s 17 and he asks questions every day of the coaches – ‘why am I playing there? when the ball goes there where do I go? what do you want me to do?’. He’s a joy to work with, really, and I’m pleased he got his goals and helped the team win.”
