Premier League: 5 players who play better for England than their club

Jesse Lingard
Jesse Lingard

Sometimes there's no clear answer as to why a player performs better for his country than he does for his club. It could be that the national team offers a more comfortable environment as the player is surrounded by teammates on the same wavelength, and who can speak the same language.

The language factor is often a subtle difference in these types of comparisons, but if you think about the top Premier League teams who sign world class players from all over the world then, of course, there isn't going to be the same amount of chemistry there.

Moreover, players can share their esoteric banter with teammates safe in the knowledge that it won't be misinterpreted. The English style is often heavily sarcastic and witty, which players from other countries might take offence to. But because it is often the banter behind the scenes that gels players together, it is imperative for the purpose of chemistry-building to have it around.

Of course, this is just one of many factors behind the stark contrast in performances between club and country but is perhaps the most simple one to explain.


#5 Ross Barkley

Montenegro v England - UEFA EURO 2020 Qualifier
Montenegro v England - UEFA EURO 2020 Qualifier

Ross Barkley is a 25-year-old attacking midfielder who plays for Chelsea in the Premier League. He joined them from Everton back in January 2018 for around £15m.

It's only been recently under Sarri's reign that Barkley has started to feature heavily in the first team; before the arrival of the ex-Napoli manager, Barkley was a fringe player who spent more time warming the bench than he did playing out on the pitch, with many people criticising him for ditching his first-team spot at Everton to be used sparingly at Chelsea.

However, he has pulled through this season, featuring in a total of 24 matches for the Blues, though only half of those saw him actually start the game. He has scored three goals and registered four assists, which isn't bad for some, but a player of his calibre should definitely be doing a lot better than that.

His stats for Chelsea look even worse when you watch him play for England. Barkley is dynamic, skilful and a true menace to every opposing side, linking up with his teammates to constantly threaten the opposition in an attack.

What doesn't help is the fact that Sarri tends to play him in a more central midfield role, rather than the attacking midfielder position that both Southgate and Barkley prefer. Having to persistently flick back-and-forth between the two has likely knocked him off balance in terms of consistency, which is why he's great one game and dire the next.

#4 Harry Maguire

Sweden v England: Quarter Final - 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia
Sweden v England: Quarter Final - 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia

Harry Maguire is a 26-year-old centre-back who plays for Leicester City in the Premier League. It was his performances for England in the World Cup last summer that catapulted him into the limelight, but he hasn't been able to follow that up with Leicester in the league.

"Slabhead", as he was dubbed during the World Cup, was a force to be reckoned with in that tournament. He was the rock at the back that England had been trying to find for a long time, and the fact he could also push up to the box at set-pieces and potentially score as well as he could defend made him an asset to the side.

Manchester United had tried to sign him shortly before this season began but Leicester wanted far more than the Red Devils were willing to offer.

However, his time with Leicester City this season has been mediocre at best. He's made 26 appearances and kept just four cleansheets. Having said that, he has managed to score three goals in the process, which for a centre-back isn't bad at all, but defensively he has been considerably weaker than before.

Hopefully, his form will pick up soon or he could risk fading away.

#3 Jesse Lingard

England v United States - International Friendly
England v United States - International Friendly

Jesse Lingard is a 26-year-old right winger who plays for Manchester United in the Premier League. Despite having earned himself a reputation for his extravagant celebrations, he hasn't been able to show many off for United this season.

Lingard is played as an attacking midfielder for England, whereas for United he is set out on the right wing; perhaps that's why he struggles at Old Trafford so often because he's played out of position?

Where Lingard performs best is in the centre of the park, operating as a No. 10 behind the strikers, allowing him to feed the ball through them whilst also eyeing up the goal lest he takes a shot himself. He has had great success with this style of play and has formed a formidable partnership with the likes of Dele Alli and Harry Kane.

For Manchester United, though, Lingard is pushed out all the way to the right flank, where his main objective is to simply run back-and-forth down the wing and try to cross it in for the strikers. Occasionally, he will cut inside and dribble towards goal, but it never looks like he's comfortable doing those things so far out wide.

Solskjaer must consider Lingard for a No. 10 role if he wants to get the best out of him next season.

#2 Jordan Henderson

England v Czech Republic - UEFA EURO 2020 Qualifier
England v Czech Republic - UEFA EURO 2020 Qualifier

Jordan Henderson is a 28-year-old central midfielder who plays for Liverpool in the Premier League. He gets a lot of flack not just from football fans in general, but also those who come to watch the Reds play each week.

Henderson is the captain of Liverpool yet is often regarded by most fans as one of the worst players on the pitch. For a player that's meant to make an impact on the game, the fact he hasn't scored or assisted once in 26 matches so far this season doesn't help his cause.

The same can be said for his time with England, except he's at least registered an assist in the Euro Qualifiers this year.

One of the main reasons behind why Henderson gets so much abuse is because he's prone to sideways passing and knocking it all the way back to the goalkeeper; there doesn't tend to be any attacking prowess to his game at all, which leaves spectators crying out in frustration at the lack of tenacity he shows.

For England, however, what he does works, as he is utilised as a defensive midfielder, so these duties are part-and-parcel of what he must do in that role. But there definitely needs to be some improvement in other areas of his play before he can be considered a great player for both club and country.

#1 Jordan Pickford

Colombia v England: Round of 16 - 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia
Colombia v England: Round of 16 - 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia

Jordan Pickford is a 25-year-old goalkeeper who plays for Everton in the Premier League. He was hailed a hero during the FIFA World Cup for a string of sublime performances between the sticks. He also single-handedly saved England from elimination during the penalty shoot-out against Colombia.

However, despite the highs of the World Cup, his time back in the Premier League has featured many lows, cancelling out the plaudits he earned during that summer.

In 32 matches, Pickford has conceded 42 goals, keeping just 10 cleansheets. This isn't too bad given the lack of quality in the defence before him, but he could certainly do better. Perhaps the pressure of living up to what he had achieved during the World Cup got the better of him.

Still, though, Pickford remains England's No. 1 despite his inconsistent performances for Everton, and when he puts on that shirt for the Three Lions, he seems to morph into a superstar once more.

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Edited by Sripad