With the European Championships fast approaching, talk starts to turn to who will make the final cut when the squads are announced. The domestic seasons are on their final straights, but the minds of some players might be concerned with whether they will be in Germany in June and July or on their summer holidays. For a handful of Championship players, there is a good chance they will be representing their countries at this year’s summer showpiece. Here are a couple of lower league players that could get an international call up.
Callum Styles – Sunderland (on loan from Barnsley) – Hungary – 20 caps, 0 goals
Born in Oldham, educated in the Bury academy before joining Barnsley, Styles will most likely turn out for Hungary this summer. The backstory to Englishman Styles turning out for Hungary is one of football’s romantic stories. Having forged a successful career in the lower leagues of English football, international recognition, for England especially, was far from Styles’ mind.
That was until the lockdown in 2020, when the Sunderland loanee found out that he was eligible to play for Hungary through his grandmother. Since making his debut against Serbia on 24th March 2022, Styles has been a regular fixture in the Hungarian squad, with a 4-0 victory over England a particular highlight on his international CV.
Andreas Weimann – West Bromwich Albion – Austria – 23 caps, 2 goals
The 32-year-old is a bit of a household name in English football after spells with Aston Villa, Watford, Derby County, Bristol City and now West Brom. The attacking midfielder was named in Ralf Rangnick’s latest Austria squad for the recent friendly wins over Slovakia and Turkey and will be hoping to add more caps to his tally in Germany this summer.
Austria have been rapidly improving under Rangnick, underlined by that thrashing of Turkey, and although the current Euro 2024 betting odds do not favour them, Weimann and co. will want to prove any doubters wrong, despite being drawn in a tough group with France, Netherlands, and Poland.
Stuart Armstrong – Southampton – Scotland – 44 caps, 2 goals
Another well-known name in English football, Armstrong will feel he has something to prove in the remainder of the season after not making the starting line-up for either of the recent friendlies against Netherlands or Northern Ireland. With Southampton not being able to match the form of Leicester City, Ipswich Town and Leeds United, it looks like Southampton will have to do it the hard way via the playoffs to achieve promotion back to the Premier League. Armstrong’s experience could prove vital, and should Southampton achieve the promotion they so strongly desire, the Scotsman will also hope to contribute to any Scottish success in Germany.
