Jude Bellingham's England place might be the subject of debate but his little brother Jobe will once again be captain when the Under-21s face the Republic of Ireland on Friday night.
The younger Bellingham has endured a tough start to the season at Borussia Dortmund, amid reports his father Mark is unhappy with his son's lack of minutes and has made his feelings clear.
But Young Lions boss Lee Carsley has no doubt about the 20-year-old's focus ahead of England's latest Euro 2027 qualifier at St Andrew's.
"He's got really good leadership qualities and is a brilliant example on and off the pitch to the rest of the players," said Carsley.
"He's a player I've known for a long time. Jobe's got the armband but we have three or four players who are more than capable of leading.
"But Jobe has really grown into that role and he's a player I love working with.
"We talk about a lot of things. One thing I can control is how much they play with us. That's the focus from me.
"In the games he's been available to us he's been very good. He's made a very strong start to this campaign.
"It's important young players develop at their own pace and he's going in the right direction."
Arsenal's 15-year-old wonder-kid Max Dowman is currently with England's Under-19s, but Carsley admits he is likely to be fast-tracked up the age groups soon.
"The Under-19s are playing qualifiers in this camp and it's important Max gets experience with them," added Carsley.
"He's a player we are monitoring. Sometimes with that talent we just have to accelerate it quickly because of the challenge they are getting at their clubs.
"It's important we bear in mind how young Max is. We get all the feedback from the camps he is in and there's definitely time, and he'll definitely get his chance with the 21s. The timing has got to be right."
Watch England v Republic of Ireland in European Under-21 Championships qualifying on Friday from 7pm on RTÉ2 and the RTÉ Player. Follow a live blog on the RTÉ News App and on rte.ie/sport.
