Britain’s Bundesliga stars: Can Jobe match Jude?

Advertisement
 

Jobe Bellingham became the latest British export to Germany’s top-flight in the summer and looks to follow in the footsteps of older brother Jude.

The latter shone in Borussia Dortmund colours following his move from Birmingham in 2020, impressing to such an extent that Spanish giants Real Madrid moved to acquire his services three years later.

Now the younger Bellingham, who has also signed with Dortmund, hopes to capture attention at Signal Iduna Park. But how have other Brits fared playing on German soil?

The most obvious recent example, besides Bellingham, would be Harry Kane. The Englishman has been in irresistible form since signing for Bayern Munich two years ago, finishing as highest scorer in the division in both seasons at the Allianz Arena. Kane’s 26 goals helped Bayern to a 33rd Bundesliga title last term.

Jadon Sancho, who is currently playing for Aston Villa on loan from Manchester United, also made a name for himself in the German top-flight. He left Manchester City to play for Dortmund in 2017 and enjoyed four years in Dortmund yellow, scoring 38 times in 104 matches in all competitions.

His move to Old Trafford hasn’t exactly gone to plan since and saw him enjoy a brief return to Dortmund on loan in 2024, where he helped the club reach the Champions League final at Wembley Stadium.

Rewind back to the 1970s and one of English football’s most prominent names also made the switch West. Kevin Keegan, an icon in Liverpool colours, left Merseyside to play for Hamburg for a then British record fee of £500,000. Like Kane, he more than impressed during his time in Germany, winning the Bundesliga in 1979 and reaching the final of the European Cup the following season.

Plenty of players have moved the opposite way, too. Take Erling Haaland, for example, who has since established himself as one of the best goalscorers across the continent. He joined Pep Guardiola at the Etihad in 2022 from Dortmund and has already won two Premier Leagues, a Champions League and multiple domestic cups.

And then there’s Kevin De Bruyne, who also joined City from the Bundesliga and is now considered one of the best midfielders in Premier League history. Eyebrows were raised when he first joined from Wolfsburg for around £54 million, but any doubts were soon quashed once De Bruyne stepped onto an English pitch.

Ultimately, the path from England to Germany, and vice versa, is one which is well-trodden. Can Jobe Bellingham live up to the mark? Only time will tell.

Make sure to head to FIRST.com to find where the value lies when betting on football in the UK.