Surprise comeback! Father of Jude and Jobe Bellingham called up to the national team for a special match

Mark Bellingham follows his sons Jude and Jobe into the national team shirt: according to the English veterans’ association, the 50-year-old is in the over-50 squad for the match against Ireland.

England's 18-man squad will gather in Cambridgeshire next weekend, where Bellingham senior could make his Three Lions debut. After countless seasons on England's amateur pitches, the forward is finally set for international honours.

His non-league career spanned 17 years and 22 clubs before he retired in 2019.

At Cheltenham Town and Newport County, among others, he made his mark in the late 1990s. His busiest spells came at Leamington between 2008 and 2009 and Bromsgrove Sporting in 2014, where he made his most appearances. Retirement did not take him out of football: he stayed involved and kept fit in veterans' competitions.

Turning 50 last March made him eligible for the older age group, allowing the association to call him up. The English veterans' association confirmed the match details in an official statement, writing: "The England veterans have announced their squads for two international matches against the Republic of Ireland on Sunday, 1 November, in Cambridgeshire. The over-50s kick off at 14.15, and the over-60s at 16.15, at the Elite Football Complex in Cambridgeshire."

How many times has Jude Bellingham played for England's national team?

Bellingham senior now follows his sons into international football. Jude, 23, has made 60 senior international appearances, scoring 14 goals and providing 15 assists. He scored seven goals at the World Cup this summer alone, when he led the attack alongside newly crowned Ballon d'Or winner Harry Kane.

Meanwhile, his younger brother Jobe is one of the leaders of England's under-21 side. He has one goal and four assists in 12 matches and has worn the Young Lions' captain's armband in their last 11 games.