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British footballers have traditionally shown reluctance to move away from the comforts of their domestic divisions. But lately, more and more British players are breaking the stereotypes by testing waters abroad.
Plenty of British wonderkids are moving abroad in search of first-team football. English starlet Jadon Sancho began the trend by leaving Premier League giants Manchester City to play for Bundesliga side Borussia Dortmund. He bravely traded playing under Pep Guardiola for earning a starting berth at the Westflanstadion. Sancho has been a roaring success at Dortmund, and has turned into the continent's most sought-after winger with a staggering price tag of £120 million.
This unusual path for an English player is being trodden by an increasing crop of young British prospects. Here, we look at some top British lads who have moved abroad to play first-team football.
Jonathan Panzo (20, Dijon)
Jonathan Panzo was part of the Chelsea youth system before moving to AS Monaco at the age of 17. The London-born defender was loaned out to Belgian outfit Cercle Brugge, where he established himself as a first-teamer. He snubbed off interest from Championship clubs Swansea, Derby County, and Coventry to sign for French side Dijon FC. The 20-year-old prodigy has represented England from U16s to U21s.
Rabbi Matondo (20, Schalke 04)
Rabbi Matondo followed in Jadon Sancho's footsteps by swapping Manchester City for Germany, joining Schalke in a deal worth £11 million in January 2019. The 20-year-old winger made eight appearances in his first season at Schalke, before his breakout campaign last year.
The Welshman played 20 matches in the Bundesliga and scored twice. He already has four international caps for Wales and is targeted by a host of top European clubs including Manchester United and Atalanta.
Noni Madueke (18, PSV Eindhoven)
Noni Madueke started at Tottenham Hotspur, skippering their U16 side and making his debut for the U18s at the age of 15. The 18-year-old rejected a move to Manchester United in favor of Dutch club PSV Eindhoven in the summer of 2018. The gamble to Holland seems to be finally paying off, as he is set for his first full season in senior football at PSV. The attacker scored his first senior goal in only his second start for the Rood-witten.
Yunus Musah (17, Valencia)
The highly-rated central midfielder Yunus Musah rose through Arsenal's youth ranks before moving to the Spanish side Valencia. He became the first Englishman to represent Valencia and their youngest ever foreign recruit when he started in the 4-2 win over Levante in their opening La Liga fixture on September 13. The 17-year-old versatile midfielder captained England from U15 to U18 level and has offered room for optimism for both club and country.
Jamal Musiala (17, Bayern Munich)
Born in Germany's Stuttgart, Musiala moved to England at the age of 7. The attacking midfielder spent 8 years at Chelsea's youth academy before moving to German giants Bayern Munich in the summer of 2019. The England U17 star made his Bundesliga debut at the age of 17, and became the youngest player to play for Bayern in the German top-flight.
Ninety days later, he scored his first goal for the Bavarians during their 8-0 decimation of Schalke in September 2020, en route to becoming Bayern's youngest ever goalscorer.
Jude Bellingham (17, Borussia Dortmund)
Jude Bellingham was hailed as Birmingham City's finest prospect since Britain's first million-pound man, Trevor Francis. The lanky center midfielder became a bonafide starter for the Blues at the tender age of 16. His exploits in the Championship provoked a bidding war which Borussia Dortmund won, edging Manchester United and Chelsea.
Bellingham penned a five-year contract at Westflanstadion, and his remarkable £25 million fee made him the most expensive 17-year-old in the history of the sport. Bellingham has hit the ground running at Ruhr, scoring on his Dortmund debut in the DFB Pokal to become the club's youngest ever goalscorer at 17 years old.
