Jobe Bellingham talks his first season at Sunderland and his plans for the rest of the season.
Jobe Bellingham believes Sunderland is the ideal environment to flourish, despite reported interest from Premier League clubs.
The 18-year-old signed a long-term contract with the Black Cats in the summer, after joining from Birmingham, and has started 30 of 33 league games this season. Bellingham’s efforts will not have gone unnoticed, as recent reports suggest Tottenham and Newcastle are interested.
Despite this, the teenager claims he enjoys his time at Sunderland and has learned a lot in his eight months there. “The atmosphere on matchdays is amazing,” Bellingham told That’s Football. “It’s an ideal environment to grow. What I’ve learned is to avoid getting too high or too low because this is a very emotional group. There are many people who are concerned about the club and want the best for it.
“In the Championship it’s game after game, so when you do lose it’s not the end of the world, although it can feel like it, especially at this club where it means so much.”
Bellingham has five goals and one assist for Sunderland in the Championship this season, with 13 games remaining as the Black Cats aim to make a late push for the playoffs.
When asked about his personal goals, Bellingham replied: “Obviously, as a team, we need to return this club to the Premier League, where it belongs. On a personal note, I aimed for 10 goal involvements at the start of the season, and I believe I’m on course to achieve so. I need to keep pitching in with more goals and assists; that’s my goal. At the end of the day, that is what wins games, therefore that is what I aim for.”
Bellingham said that he is enjoying playing in the Championship on a regular basis. I’m just thrilled I get to play so much for such a fantastic club and with such terrific friends.
“I feel like I’m getting better every other week; you’ll have some tough games, but that’s to be anticipated. I believe that at my age, the number of minutes, as well as the nature of the league, are difficult to adjust to. It’s quite hard and unrelenting, but I believe it will be very beneficial to me in the long term.”
