Tony Mowbray still has no idea where Jobe Bellingham will play for Sunderland.
Speaking ahead of the Black Cats’ pre-season clash with San Antonio FC, Mowbray has admitted it will take time to figure out exactly how the midfielder will fit into the team.
Bellingham joined Sunderland from Birmingham City for a reported fee of £3 million last month, with his brother Jude joining him as he put pen to paper on a four-year deal.
The 17-year-old is an extremely exciting signing for the Wearside outfit, however he remains fairly inexperienced after only making his first start in the Championship during the Blues’ defeat to Sunderland in November.
Bellingham made 22 appearances in the second tier last season, but Mowbray is eager to make use of pre-season to analyse exactly what kind of player he can be for his new club.
“He hasn’t played a lot of men’s football,” said Mowbray.
“We have to find out whether he’s going to be a running number eight, a number ten, whether he’ll play a bit deeper and play as a number six, and we’ll find that out over the longevity of his games and training programme. We’re just happy to see him on the pitch.”
Jobe Bellingham has a lot of competition in Sunderland’s midfield
Jobe Bellingham is arguably one of the most exciting signings Sunderland have made in years, however he is going to have to be patient before he forces his way into the starting line-up on a regular basis.
The Birmingham-born youngster will only turn 18 years old in September and will still be one of Sunderland’s most inexperienced midfielders.
Bellingham could face Elliot Embleton, Alex Pritchard, Abdoullah Ba, Dan Neil, Corry Evans and Pierre Ekwah all looking to earn a permanent place in the team, with all five having last side’s success on their side.
The teenager clearly understands how useful the club can be in aiding his development so hopefully he isn’t too disheartened when it does take him a while to get going.