Why More British Players Are Heading Abroad

It was not so long ago that it was almost unthinkable for British players to venture away from their domestic leagues, with boundaries such as prohibitive costs, language and cultural differences all being cited as reasons for moves not happening.

In recent seasons all that has changed, with more and more players with varying experience at the elite level of the game heading abroad.

In this article we look at why that is and whether it is a trend set to grow.

Agents Know No Boundaries

Money has been king for a while now in world football and wherever large amounts of currency change hands you can be sure there is an agent or two available to take their cut for brokering the deal.

Previously agents had been unable to break Premier League stars out into Europe while they were in their prime, usually having to wait till they were in the twilight of their careers, but all that changed with the sale of Gareth Bale to Real Madrid. Champions League and Copa Del Rey winning performances later, Bale has partly repaid his huge transfer fee and other similar signings will surely follow soon.

Foreign Clubs Value British Player Brands

Of course, prior to Bale arriving at the Bernabeu, David Beckham had already been there and his influence on foreign leagues had an undoubted impact, showing that players whose brands had been built to stratospheric levels in the Premier League could then benefit their new team on the continent.

Adaptable Players Are Worth More

The one league where young British players appear to thrive the most is the Bundesliga, where the likes of Jadon Sancho and Keanan Bennetts have been plying their trade having been deemed surplus to requirements by Man City and Tottenham respectively.

In the case of Sancho, his value has skyrocketed after proving his worth in Germany, where he has put Dortmund firmly among the Bundesliga title odds equation and shown that being able to adapt to different styles of play is incredibly valuable in the modern game.

A Thinking Player is a Better Player

Since more advanced coaching and training methods have been brought in by the likes of Pep Guardiola and Jose Mourinho, it is no longer acceptable for a player to be physically fit without also being mentally sharp.

This has meant that young players are now encouraged to grow academically as well as athletically, as studies have shown it benefits their play in the long run. Many players from Kieran Trippier to Aaron Ramsey have already extolled the virtues of being tested by a new language and culture, viewing it as part of their natural development as a player rather than something to be feared.