Another Bellingham in an England shirt
Jude and Jobe Bellingham are not the only ones in the family with a Three Lions shirt waiting. Their father Mark has been picked for England’s over-50s team and will play against Ireland on Sunday.
It will not be a father-and-son pairing in the senior side. Mark, 50, is joining the veterans squad, which won its ninth world title earlier this year in Thailand. Former internationals Gareth Barry and Lee Hendrie were part of the previous group but will not be involved against Ireland.
He will become the third member of the family to wear the England shirt, after Jude, who plays for Real Madrid, and Jobe, who is with Borussia Dortmund and plays for the Under-21s.
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The Pelé of non-league
Mark Bellingham built his reputation a long way from the Bernabéu. He played for around 25 years before finishing in 2017, mostly in the English lower divisions, including the Northern and Southern League Premier Divisions at the seventh tier. Over that career he scored more than 700 goals for at least 20 clubs, among them Leamington, Stourbridge and Sutton Coldfield Town. The nickname that followed him around the amateur game was the Pelé of non-league football.
Away from the pitch he has stayed close to his sons. He regularly watches their matches, often alongside his ex-wife Denise, and he became their agent. In that role he negotiated Jude’s move to Real Madrid, a deal worth 103 million euros.
Sunday’s game will be a rare chance for England fans to watch the family’s other striker in action.
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