Jobe Bellingham has already told Championship clubs why they should hire Mike Dodds despite sacking

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The former Sunderland duo share a connection that went beyond the Stadium of Light training ground.

Wycombe Wanderers sacked Mike Dodds on Thursday afternoon following a barren start to his first full campaign in charge.

The former Sunderland coach, who had two interim spells at the helm during the 2023/24 Championship campaign, was appointed as Chairboys boss in February to replace Matt Bloomfield.

Unfortunately for Dodds, his first spell as head coach has not gone to plan, with Wycombe missing out on a play-off place last season and starting this term with just one win in their opening seven.

Wycombe fans were sympathetic about Dodds after his 31-game stint ended, and former Sunderland star Jobe Bellingham’s comments in 2023 highlight why Championship or League One clubs should not hesitate to hire his former coach.

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Jobe Bellingham praised Mike Dodds during Sunderland spell

Dodds had two spells as interim Black Cats manager in the season before last following the exits of Tony Mowbray and Michael Beale.

During his first spell, Sunderland were particularly impressive under Dodds after back-to-back wins at the Stadium of Light over play-off rivals West Brom and Leeds United.

After Bellingham scored a late winner against Leeds in a tightly contested second tier clash, last term’s Championship Young Player of the Season explained why Dodds is such an impressive coach.

As quoted by Chronicle Live, Bellingham said of Dodds in 2023: “It’s no surprise for anyone at the club, because he’s a top coach, he’s such a smart guy and he’s really caring.

“All the players have taken well to him since he’s come here and that was something I always knew because I had him at Birmingham (City) and I loved him there.

“So he’s a big help for all of us lads and he gets the tactical stuff spot on.”

Bellingham and elder brother Jude were no strangers to Dodds’ coaching acumen after their years in the Birmingham City academy under his stewardship, and that connection followed to Wearside.

After joining the Blues academy as a coach in 2009, Dodds was promoted to academy manager in 2020, and is credited with having a significant impact on Jude Bellingham’s development.

The former Birmingham academy boss was influential in bringing the Dortmund star to Wearside in 2023, and Dodds was involved in Bellingham’s move to Borussia Dortmund this summer, with the German giants’ UK scout being Daniel Dodds, the brother of the former Wycombe boss.

Now, the former Sunderland figure is searching for his next role in football, but he should not be short of offers.

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How Sunderland players reacted to Mike Dodds’ exit was telling

Dodds departed Wearside for Wycombe in the second half of last season to call time on his four-year stint at Sunderland.

After initially arriving as Head of Player development in 2021, Dodds led the Black Cats’ Under-21s outfit before becoming an integral figure in the first-team coaching setup and being granted the interim head coach role when called upon multiple times.

On behalf of the Sunderland squad, then-captain Dan Neil shared a message following Dodds’ departure, which was very telling about the sacked boss’ credentials and character.

Neil told Sunderland: “Everyone in the squad is really thankful for everything Doddsy has done since he came to the club.

“He got introduced into the first-team set up midway through the League One season, and his development as a coach has mirrored the development of the football club over the last few years.

“He’s been through the high and lows. Especially the highs of getting promoted from League one and getting into the Championship play-offs. He was a massive part of that.

“Everyone in the changing room had huge respect for him and he helped massively in every single game.

“He is going to be a massive miss, not only because he is a really good coach, but also a good person. He got on with everyone off the football pitch.

“It’s a good chance to go and show his capabilities as a Head Coach because we all believe that he can do that, and we’re all looking forward to seeing his progress.”

Although his tenure as Chairboys boss ended on just a 32 percent win rate, Dodds’ track record for helping develop the Bellinghams and the litany of young talent at Sunderland means a return to the dugout should not be far behind him.

However, his qualities as a more behind-the-scenes figure could mean his best coaching attributes are better suited to a number two role, in which he shone so well at Sunderland.