Jude Bellingham's parents had strict rule for him and brother Jobe that now looks a stroke of genius

The parents of Jude and Jobe Bellingham adopted a simple, but effective approach that kept the brothers grounded throughout their childhood.

Jobe followed in the footsteps of older brother Jude by progressing through the ranks at Birmingham, where he would make his first-team debut in an FA Cup clash against Plymouth at 16 years and 107 days old.

Eventually, the brothers would secure moves to Borussia Dortmund and Real Madrid respectively, but they could have easily joined more high-profile teams during their schoolboy years had it not been for their father.

Mark Bellingham, a former sergeant for West Midlands police who also played non-league football, wanted to keep Jude and Jobe at their boyhood club for as long as possible to prevent disruption and keep them grounded.

Kevin Betsy, who spent four years coaching Jude for the England juniors, said Mark was "very clear and concise" when it came to communication, which "reflects" on the pair to this day.

“They were very keen on their child living at home in Birmingham, training in close proximity to their home, to allow him to have as normal a childhood as possible, that was really important,” Betsy told the Standard.

“They could have gone to many of the top clubs in Europe when Jude was 12 or 13, but they resisted those ideas – the teenage years with your child are important.”

Betsy added: “They were also very clear that Jude should get the appropriate amount of time to fulfil the educational commitments when he was with us.

"It was fundamental to them that education was a huge part of his life, they were very strong on that. If there was ever a sign of any problems at school, with either behaviour or dropping academic grades, he wouldn’t be playing football. And that’s why he did so well at his GCSEs.”

Education played a significant role in their development, both on and off the pitch. Jude, who attended Hagley Primary School near Stourbridge, was a "fantastic young man" growing up, according to Vanessa Payne, his former teacher.

"Even then he had the aspiration to take his skill somewhere," Payne told BBC.

"He's left a legacy here of sportsmanship and ambition and trying to be the best you can be. He was kind, he was thoughtful and he was a good sport – and he was just somebody people wanted to be around."

The school's deputy headteacher, Rob Tindall, also praised his former student. "We are so proud of him, the fact he was only at this school not long ago – it's what dreams are made of," he said.

Jude and Jobe have flourished in recent years. Image credit: Getty

Unfortunately, a reunion between the brothers will not take place when Borussia Dortmund face Real Madrid in the Club World Cup on Saturday.

Jobe received his second yellow card of the tournament in their round of 16 clash against Monterrey, meaning he will be suspended for the quarter-final clash with Los Blancos.

Dortmund head coach Nico Kovac admitted Jobe was “disappointed” after picking up the suspension. "I think we all saw that he [Jobe Bellingham] was very disappointed," he said.

"OK, he's young. His brother is also young so I'm convinced they will face each other, maybe next season in the Champions League and then the future. The future is for them."