Brighton players can benefit from internationals with footballs biggest stars

With Alexis Mac Allister set to play alongside Lionel Messi, Leandro Trossard with Kevin De Bruyne; and David De Gea, for so long tipped as one of the greatest goalkeepers in the world, is now below Robert Sanchez player in the pecking order for a starting spot in the Spanish squad, it is a sign of how far Albion have come. It is truly mind-blowing.

Albion abroad in full, Sanchez, Trossard, Yves Bissouma, Moisés Caicedo, Mac Allister, Enock Mwepu, and Jeremy Sarmiento will be representing their countries, respectively, but what does that mean for Albion?

Robert Sanchez is training with Spain

Tariq Lamptey is set to commit his national allegiance from English to Ghanian as he looks to find his way into the national side. The defender will be managed by former Albion manager Chris Hughton. Yves Bissouma is also likely to receive a call up to the Malian national team.

There tend to be different angles to look at international breaks, but for Albion, and the development of young players, it can only be a good thing.

The worldwide attention toward players is bigger than ever before. The rise of media interaction, young talent coming from abroad, and the ever-lasting love towards those playing for their country bring immense pressure, yet incredible rewards.

The experience gained from even training within these squads is invaluable towards a young players’ development and a chance to put their names up in lights in their hometown.

A prime example of this is Trossard. The attacker, when returning to Albion from the Belgian national team, has had a noticeable impact.

Leandro Trossard in action for Belgium

The Belgian brings his usual-good international form back to the Amex regularly and has had a good amount of goal contributions on return from an international break. 15 caps, three goals, and three assists are very respectable for a man perhaps in more of an outside chance of making the first-team, as Belgium have, which, can only be deemed as a super squad of quality.

Recently, things have changed for Trossard, and game time is much more accessible. A sign of a player growing in confidence and experience.

Sanchez has made the starting goalkeeper spot in Spain his own, too. Manchester United’s De Gea seemingly appears to have fallen out of the reckoning, as Unai Simon rivals Sanchez for the number one spot.

The 24-year-old has had an impressive time with Albion since being called up to the Spanish squad. The level of detail learned from those around him amongst his national squad is clear to see, and the rise to follow has been notable.

These examples show a clear trend of players leaving to improve while abroad, but why is that? A change in scenery, tactics are different, and a large level of individual quality around is a fantastic way to progress as a footballer.

Players will bounce off each other, and learn from those in a better position than them, much like any other job role around, hands-on experience is key.

While on the subject of learning from the best, as mentioned previously, Mac Allister has achieved another call up to the Argentinian national team.

Alexis Mac Allister

The Argentine has had a very impressive, and diverse season in Albion colours, and is good value for his place in the squad. The potential experience to gain from training and playing around players such as Lionel Messi, Paulo Dybala, and Angel Di Maria speaks for itself.

The skillsets on display are beyond comparison to most in world football.

Although, there is one big drawback. The Nations League has been heavily criticised as a competition.

Manchester City’s Kevin De Bruyne is the most recent critic, labelling it as “unimportant”, with former Manchester United and current Netherlands manager, Louis Van Gaal, agreeing with the opinion.

In many views, it is a ‘glorified friendly’ and players are debating whether it is worth the lack of summer break, as it will impact what is already a hectic schedule for the elite level of footballers.

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The World Cup will come around at the end of this year; heavily criticised again for the timing, top-flight players will be looking at only around a three-week break throughout the year.

This could well have a reverse effect, with potential uninterested players and therefore returning to their clubs jaded.

However, the potential for young players is there to make a name for themselves for their country. Who would not want to represent their country in front of millions, while learning from the very best in the world?