England's Blues brothers - how the Bellinghams helped save Birmingham

What the report says

Jude and Jobe Bellingham, both boyhood Birmingham City supporters, are the focus of a BBC Sport Football feature looking at their rise and the club’s recent turnaround. Jude, 23, now at Real Madrid after spells at Birmingham and Borussia Dortmund, and Jobe, 21, currently at Dortmund after time at Sunderland, could become the first brothers to play for England since 2007 if Jobe appears against Croatia at Wembley.

The article says both brothers made an impression at St Andrew’s before moving on. Jude became Birmingham’s youngest-ever player, while Jobe also broke into the first team as a teenager. Their transfers brought important income to Birmingham, including a reported sell-on fee from Jude’s move from Dortmund to Real Madrid and another from Jobe’s later transfer. Former club officials and supporters quoted by BBC Sport described Jude’s contract decision and the brothers’ departures as helpful to the club during a difficult period.

BBC Sport also notes that Birmingham have since fallen and risen again, spending time outside the Premier League before going top of the Championship after 15 games. The club also has plans for a new 62,000-capacity stadium. For fans, the Bellinghams remain strongly associated with Birmingham City, with Jude’s mural outside the ground and regular references to their connection to the club.

Beyond the immediate England call-up storyline, the piece frames the brothers as examples of how academy graduates can matter both on the pitch and financially to a club. It also places their potential England appearance in historical context, with the last siblings to feature together for the national team being Gary and Phil Neville.