It has emerged why Mamelodi Sundowns players will not see the name "Bellingham" on the back of Jobe Bellingham's shirt when the two teams meet on Saturday. Here's a look!
The story
Sundowns are set to take to the pitch against a star-studded Borussia Dortmund side featuring the likes of Serhou Guirassy, Niklas Sule, Emre Can, and Karim Adeyemi, to name a few.
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One of the club’s newest high-profile signings is Jobe Bellingham, who recently joined from Sunderland in a deal worth €30.5 million (approximately R633 million).
The 19-year-old’s surname precedes him, owing to his older brother Jude Bellingham, who also played for Dortmund before becoming one of Real Madrid’s Galácticos.
Nevertheless, it is believed Dortmund fast-tracked the younger Bellingham’s move to the club to ensure his participation in the Club World Cup.
Admittedly, the Bellingham surname now carries significant weight, and this has influenced Jobe’s unusual decision not to have it displayed on his shirt.
The Dortmund teenager is said to have opted against using his surname because he wants to create his own legacy.
The 19-year-old will wear the number 77 shirt, with "Jobe" printed on the back.
One of his former coaches at Sunderland, Tony Mowbray, explained the reasoning behind this.
Mowbray told talkSPORT: “I think he’s trying to create his own identity.
“He doesn’t want to live off the back of his brother’s name; he wants to be the footballer that he is and show people what he can do.”
Nevertheless, whichever Sundowns star is lucky enough to swap shirts with Bellingham will receive one bearing the name "Jobe".
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