Mark Bellingham, the 50-year-old father of football stars Jude and Jobe, has received a surprise call-up to the England Veterans Over 50s team seven years after ending his playing career. Bellingham Sr boasts a 17-year non-league career that included spells at 22 different clubs, such as Leamington, Bromsgrove Sporting, Cheltenham Town, and Newport County during the late 1990s. After hanging up his boots in 2019, he continued playing in veterans tournaments before earning his first selection for the Three Lions.
He was named in the squad to play against the Republic of Ireland in Cambridgeshire. England Veterans announced their lineups for the international double-header against the Republic of Ireland taking place on Sunday 1st November in Cambridgeshire. The Over 50s match starts at 2:15pm and the Over 60s match begins at 4:15pm at the Elite Football Complex, Cambridgeshire. England's Over 60s will also play on Saturday at a later kick-off time.
This selection means Mark can now join his sons Jude and Jobe in representing England. Jude Bellingham, 23, has earned 60 caps, scored 14 goals, and provided 15 assists for the England first team, becoming a key player under Thomas Tuchel and starring at the World Cup earlier this year where England finished third with seven goals from him. His brother Jobe Bellingham, 21, plays for the Under-21s side and captained them in his last 11 appearances.
