Niko Kovac demands patience from Jobe Bellingham | OneFootball

Jobe Bellingham (19) has featured in every Borussia Dortmund game this season, starting two of his five appearances, but the Englishman perhaps hasn’t hit the ground running as fans had anticipated. Speaking ahead of BVB’s Bundesliga game against Wolfsburg on Sunday, Niko Kovac urged Dortmund’s No. 7 to be patient with his development.

“We can’t expect a player to have everything down within two months,” said Kovac. “It’s a process. Young players often need up to six months. You can’t put pressure on him, despite his name. You’re not doing the boy any favours, and Jobe isn’t doing himself any favours.

“It will come; I have plenty of examples.”

When asked about where Bellingham fits into the Borussia Dortmund team, Kovac said: “We let him play as the No. 10 at the Club World Cup because we wanted to see how he would adapt there.

“The No. 6 position is the one he will occupy long-term. I don’t want to make comparisons to players I’ve coached, but he is a player who has a lot of potential, and that has to develop naturally.”

GGFN | Daniel Pinder