And it’s that mentality – twinned with his talent, of course – that makes Le Bris believe the teenager will go on to have a “great career”.
Bellingham left Sunderland this month, completing his €33m move to Dortmund, just two years after the Black Cats had signed him for £2m.
Bellingham only had one season of regular Championship football under his belt when Le Bris was appointed 12 months ago, but the Frenchman quickly realised the midfielder was going to be a major figure in his Sunderland side.
And while Le Bris was impressed with Bellingham’s quality on the pitch, what really struck the 49-year-old was his attitude and fierce determination.
It reminded Le Bris of coaching a young Mattéo Guendouzi, who he had in his ranks at Lorient B before the midfielder went on to join Arsenal.
And while Le Bris would no doubt love to have kept Bellingham in his ranks for next season, he’s thrilled to see the youngster rewarded for his work and sacrifice. Bellingham will be playing Champions League football next season.
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“Jobe, like Mattéo Guendouzi, is among the most determined and demanding players I have ever coached,” said Le Bris, who spoke to Italian media outlets over the weekend.
“They are exceptional guys, but as players they have a strong character. If you compete with them to see who can raise their voice the most, imposing with harsh methods, things won’t work.
“With the technical staff, we adapted quickly to be able to support him. As a player he is very strong, he already has the mentality of a grown-up. He is extremely demanding and strict with himself, he wants to be a champion and he already behaves like a champion.
“He accompanies his words with facts and with the commitment to achieve his dreams. He has a great career ahead of him.”
It’s one out, one in at Sunderland so far this summer, with Bellingham departing but Enzo Le Fee completing his permanent switch from Roma, triggered after promotion was secured.
Le Bris said: “We have a strong bond with Le Fée. I met him at Lorient when he was 12.
“In January I called him, I knew he wasn’t having a great time at Roma and I asked him if he would be happy to come to Sunderland to give us a hand.
“He immediately got involved. He played his first games as a left winger because I didn’t have any players available in that role, which wasn’t his.
“He never had any problems: he accepted it just to play and immediately put himself at the service of the team.
“Then he got injured: he had a muscle problem in his thigh and came back. He resumed his role and was crucial for our great end to the season.”
Le Bris knows his Sunderland side won’t be fancied to survive in the Premier League next season, but having defied the odds to win promotion, he believes the Black Cats are well equipped to give a good account of themselves in the top flight.
He said: “We managed to overturn the predictions with the work on the pitch and with the strength of an extraordinary group, which used the common energy to obtain great results.
“The data is important, the statistics can help to understand certain things, but then there is the human energy that often makes the difference.
“At Sunderland, this year, it was like this. I worked with a group of young guys, our team had the lowest average age of the whole Championship , and yet we managed to work hard, in an incredibly mature way, being supportive and above all arriving fresh at the end of the season.
“It is no coincidence that in the play-off semi-final against Coventry we scored the decisive goal in the final minutes, and it is no coincidence that we won the final at Wembley in the 95th minute.”
