Sunderland star Jobe Bellingham was handed his England U21s debut against Spain on Friday night.
Jobe Bellingham continues his rise on the footballing stage, now having made his England U21s debut in what was a 0-0 draw against Spain on Friday night.
The Sunderland star has impressed in the Championship this season having scored twice and assisted once in 13 league outings.
Recently there’s been widespread transfer interest in Bellingham at Sunderland, though how legitimate it all is remains to be seen.
Clubs across Europe are reportedly eyeing Bellingham as the January transfer window rapidly approaches, and his Young Lions debut only puts him more in the spotlight.
The 19-year-old played 68 minutes of the game, starting in midfield alongside Liverpool’s Tyler Morton. But it was the fans’ reaction to seeing Bellingham that’s perhaps most interesting.
Sunderland star Jobe Bellingham ‘mobbed’ by fans whilst on England duty
At full-time, The Guardian‘s match report stated that a number of ball boys ran onto the pitch, armed with their mobile phones as they all singled out Bellingham for a selfie.
Then after the game, Mail reporter Nathan Salt shared a video of Bellingham being ‘mobbed’ by supporters outside the team bus.
Bellingham was filmed alongside dad Mark being swarmed by fans wanting pictures and autographs after the game.
Salt said Bellingham was ‘the big draw’ on the night, and that he ‘had more requests for selfies and autographs than any player that played’.
Regis Le Bris’ high praise for ‘complete player’ Jobe Bellingham
Bellingham was, surprisingly, a divisive player among many Sunderland fans last season. But this time round, there’s no doubting his ability and potential, and this kind of support on international duty shows the potential stardom he has lying ahead.
Regis Le Bris has certainly helped to get the best out of him. This Young Lions call is testament to Bellingham’s season so far and proves the ‘huge potential’ he has, per the words of Le Bris earlier in November.
Sunderland boss Le Bris said of Bellingham: “He can do many things! He is a complete player with huge potential to discover.”
Bellingham is among the Sunderland players suspended for Millwall, who the Black Cats face after this month’s international break, and his absence will be felt for what is a third game in a row.
But he’s keeping match-fit on international duty, and he’ll return to Wearside on the back of some new highs and experiences with the England U21s.