FEATURE Bellingham: How a change of role has unlocked the Englishman

One of the biggest talking points after the2-2 Klassiker drawbetween Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund was Jobe Bellingham's amazing performance. The 21-year-old Englishman put on a solid display that proved he has adapted well to football at the Black and Yellows.

Following his €31m move from Sunderland in the summer of 2025, Jobe didn't hit the ground running. He struggled to make an impact in games and didn't look comfortable in the role he was assigned.

Of course, comparisons with his older brother Jude didn't help. The now Real Madrid player spent three seasons at the Signal Iduna Park and earned plaudits for his scintillating form.

When Jobe arrived in 2025, two years after his brother left Dortmund, expectations were high. However, it would take time for the younger Bellingham to make his mark under Niko Kovac.

Speaking to South African broadcaster SABC Sport after the recent Der Klassiker, Jobe discussed how a change in role helped him put on a good performance this season. He noted that he was able to get forward more, which helped his output.

Jobe has two Bundesliga assists in eight games this season. Last season he had the same number of assists in 32 games.

And he almost found his first Bundesliga goal against Bayern on Saturday, but it was disallowed. For most of last season, Jobe was paired with Felix Nmecha and had to drop deep to help the defence and control play.

Now the presence of summer signing Joey Veerman has helped in that aspect, which has allowed Jobe to have more freedom. In hisfirst interview as a Borussia Dortmund player, Jobe said: "In the short term: simply to have a positive influence on the club.

To build a connection with the fans, within my team and also with the coaching staff. I think that should be the first step for every player at every club."