Watch Jobe Bellingham score screamer and spark wild Sunderland celebrations but fans plead for Jude comparisons to end
JOBE BELLINGHAM scored a screamer during Sunderland’s clash with Southampton on Saturday.
The 18-year-old has starred for the Black Cats since moving to the North East from Birmingham in a £3million deal last summer.
Sunderland’s No7 lined up at St Mary’s hoping to prevent his side from slumping to a sixth defeat in a row.
His outing got off to a nightmare start, when his dreadful header in the ninth minute teed up Jan Bednarek, with Stuart Armstrong converting the rebound.
Adam Armstrong made it 2-0 from the penalty spot in the 37th minute, before Sunderland launched a comeback.
Former Tottenham starlet Romaine Mundle, 20, scored his first senior goal to halve the deficit.
Then up stepped Bellingham, the 18-year-old curling a sensational right-footed effort into the top corner for 2-2 with 20 minutes to play.
A quickfire Joe Rothwell double saw Saints win 4-2, but Bellingham’s wonder-goal will live long in the memory.
His brilliant strike prompted inevitable mentions of his older brother Jude.
But fans were quick to criticise such comparisons, with one writing: “Wish everyone would stop mentioning Jude when he scores a banger. I love Jude but let him cook on his own thanks.”
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While a second pointed out: “You don’t have to compare everything he does to Jude he’s a cold player on his own merit.”
Midfielder Bellingham has scored six goals in 36 appearances for the Black Cats this season.
His side have slipped to 12th amid their dismal run, now 11 points off the play-offs.
Bellingham has played for England up to Under-19 level.
And he even skippered them in a clash with Germany last year.