Mike Dodds has revealed what Jobe Bellingham has now told him about his decision to join Sunderland.
Jobe Bellingham joined Sunderland from Birmingham City last summer and quickly caught attention for his impressive performances.
The midfielder slotted straight into the starting line-up and made a quality start to life on Wearside under Tony Mowbray.
However, as results began to turn, so did Jobe’s form. The teenager came under criticism from supporters for his displays, while the club were questioned as to why he kept starting.
Jobe has been a constant in the team and has arguably been overplayed, often looking burnt out and lacking in confidence.
The 18-year-old is Sunderland’s second top scorer with seven goals though, and has occasionally shown his potential, particularly impressing in his ‘scary’ performance in the win over Cardiff last month.
While the youngster has attracted plenty of interest in his signature, his first campaign on Wearside perhaps hasn’t gone quite as he had planned, while he may have also been expecting to battle for promotion too.
Jobe has ‘fallen in love’ with Sunderland
The Black Cats have had a particularly underwhelming campaign, but that hasn’t stopped Jobe from ‘falling in love’ with the club.
Speaking to the Sunderland Echo, Mike Dodds explained what Jobe has told him about his decision to move to the Stadium of Light.
“It’s difficult for me to comment but I don’t think anyone will truly understand what it is like to be Jobe,” Dodds said.
“If he goes anywhere in the world, he’s Jude’s brother, he’s not Jobe. Him having his own identity is something he desperately craves. I’m sure as he gets older and he gets more accolades and he does wonderful things in football, he’ll be appreciated for who he is.”
“That’s why he’s fallen in love with the fans, with the area,” Dodds added.
“He’s so happy with the decision he made last summer, he’s said that to me personally. It’s a perfect club at the perfect time for him. I’m sure this part of the world will be forever in his heart. He’s completely fallen in love and I think the Sunderland fans have been unbelievable with him.”
His appreciation for the club is quite surprising
Given the criticism for both Jobe and the team, as well as his constant switching of positions, it actually is quite surprising that he has loved his time on Wearside so much.
It clearly shows how much we are missing as fans though, because while we are struggling to win games, there actually seems to be a really positive atmosphere and a strong relationship between the players and the coaching staff.
Jobe is still very young and is learning every day, and he obviously thinks being in Sunderland is really helping him to develop as a player.
That is what we have done so brilliantly with all of our young players in recent years, so despite our struggle for form, it hasn’t prevented these youngsters from growing.
Jobe is one of many who will really benefit from the summer break, and his positivity around the club suggests that we could really start to see the best of him soon.