Borussia Dortmund manager Niko Kovac insists Jobe Bellingham will come good despite a difficult start to life in Germany – and explained the ‘extra pressure’ of following his brother Jude’s footsteps.
The 20-year-old left Sunderland to join the Bundesliga giants in a deal worth £32million last summer, five years after Jude made the fruitful switch to Signal Iduna Park from Birmingham.
But Jobe has struggled to hit the heights that attracted BVB’s attention, and is yet to score in his 23 appearances this season. He also received a red card in Dortmund’s last league match against Borussia Monchengladbach.
It was revealed in the German press last week, however, that the club’s hierarchy are keen to support Jobe due to their belief that the England Under-21 midfielder will come good.
And Kovac, who pointed to the step up in quality from the English Championship to the Bundesliga, believes his stuttering start is a natural part of his adaptation, despite criticism from some quarters of the German media.
‘My experience is that when a young player joins a new club – and this does vary – is that it can take three to six months to adapt. It takes time, but sometimes people are not fair and expect an immediate, big development,’ he told The Athletic.
Borussia Dortmund manager Niko Kovac believes Jobe Bellingham will come good with time
Jobe has struggled since making the £32million switch and is yet to score in 23 appearances
‘He’s also coming from abroad, where the language and culture were different, and his brother was here, too, so there’s that extra pressure around him.’
The 54-year-old former Croatia captain, who took over as Dortmund boss following Nuri Sahin’s departure in February, said Jobe was everything he wanted in a player – despite it not yet fully clicking on the pitch.
Describing him as a ‘wonderful, educated and humble guy’, Kovac said the 20-year-old may actually be too football-obsessed.
‘But I really like it,’ the Croat explained. ‘Not only because of how it helps him, but also because it pushes other players. Sometimes, I say to him that he shouldn’t eat, drink and sleep football, because you need different things in your life to keep your mind free, but everything has been very positive.
‘He’s played in 23 games so far, and this is good for his development, I think. He’s making steps forward all the time, and he will absolutely have a good career. I’m very happy with him. He’s a top guy, and a very good player.’
It was reported by German outlet BILD last week that Dortmund have made the decision not to pursue a central midfielder signing in the January transfer window despite selling Pascal Gross back to Brighton.
The report claims chief executive Lars Ricken, sporting director Sebastian Kehl and Kovac have taken the decision to back Jobe to find his form and make the position his own.
The trio are said to view him as a ‘training champion’ and believe that he will translate those performances onto the pitch in competitive matches when he gains more confidence.
Jobe joined Dortmund ahead of last season’s FIFA Club World Cup and scored his first – and to date only – goal for the club against South African side Sundowns in just his second appearance.
The start of this season saw reports of a clash between Bellingham’s father Mark and club officials.
Jobe was sent off in his last league game for Dortmund against Borussia Monchengladbach
Mark, who also acts as his son’s advisor, had reportedly held an emotional discussion with Kehl after Jobe was substituted at half-time in Dortmund’s 3-3 draw with St Pauli.
It was reported that he had voiced his frustration over both the substitution and the team’s overall performance. BILD added that Mark sought a meeting with Kovac directly and ‘made no secret of his opinion.’
Some Dortmund players are also said to have noticed how emotional he was, with his anger reportedly fuelled by both Jobe’s early substitution and the disappointing display.
Kehl later issued a reminder that the dressing-room area is strictly reserved for players and staff.
He said: ‘We are all disappointed about the result yesterday. And still, the active area at our club remains reserved for players, coaches and officials, not families and advisors. This will not happen again. We have made this clear to all involved.’
The midfielder joined Dortmund in June after helping Sunderland win promotion from the Championship, signing a five-year deal. His transfer fee, worth an initial £27.8m plus add-ons, set a new record for the Wearside club.
Despite the family connection, Jobe insisted at the time he had not crossed to Germany simply to follow in his elder brother’s footsteps.
Jude enjoyed a stunning three-season spell in Dortmund, scoring 24 goals and providing 25 assists in 132 matches, before joining Real Madrid.
