GOAL runs the rule over the British players earning a living away from their homeland, with plenty more stars deciding to leave their home comforts in search of a better footballing life elsewhere. The Premier League is still obviously one of the world's most entertaining divisions and the Championship can prove fantastic for development, but there are more options out there.
The grass isn't always greener, but plenty of Britain's footballing expats are enjoying themselves both across Europe and, in some cases, further afield. Over the past weekend, La Liga's big two were again indebted to goals from their England duo while both English and Scottish players continue to thrive in Serie A and Ligue 1, though Harry Kane got to put his feet up for Bayern Munich as he prepares to take on Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League this week.
Every Monday this season, GOAL has the definitive lowdown on British stars abroad, what they're getting up to, who is reaching the greatest heights and who appears to be suffering with homesickness. Let's get stuck into this week's edition…
Getty Images SportBellingham back to his best
All eyes will be on Thomas Tuchel this week when he names his latest England squad, with the fate of Jude Bellingham likely to dominate the headlines regardless of whether the Real Madrid midfielder is recalled or not. What cannot be debated, however, is that Bellingham is starting to look back to his best following the delay to the start of his season.
Bellingham looked a shadow of himself at times last season, but the way he has bounced back following long-awaited shoulder surgery over the summer suggests that injury was holding him back more than many people realised. Indeed, Bellingham is back dominating midfield battles for Los Blancos in La Liga as Xabi Alonso's side take an early grip on the title race.
Bellingham netted the third goal in Saturday's 4-0 win over Valencia, marking the third successive game in all competitions that he has found the net. And unlike his previous two tap-ins against Juventus and Barcelona, this was one that Bellingham created all by himself, cutting in from the left before skipping past a defender and hitting a rasping drive into the bottom corner from the edge of the penalty area.
Watching that, it's madness to think that there are some who believe England would be better off without Bellingham. We'll find out this week which camp Tuchel falls into…
AdvertisementGetty Images SportRashford's resurgence continues
One man who will definitely be in the Three Lions' squad to face Serbia and Albania is Marcus Rashford, whose resurgence shows no signs of slowing down at Barcelona. The Manchester United loanee eased the Blaugrana's nerves when he put them 3-1 up against Elche on Sunday with an angled strike that kissed the crossbar on the way in.
Rashford has taken his goal tally to six in all competitions since his summer move, and combined with his seven assists, he has emerged as Barca's most reliable attacking outlet amid injury issues for Raphinha, Robert Lewandowski and Lamine Yamal. The confidence Rashford is playing with harks back to his best days at Old Trafford, and in current form he should be assured of his place on the plane for the World Cup next summer.
"I try to give my best. I could have done better against Elche and I promise to improve, but I'm generally happy with my performance," Rashford said after being named MVP of the match by La Liga. "In my opinion, if I do things right on the pitch and with the team, I'll always be able to score and create goals. My goal is to connect with my team-mates and feel in sync with them, and that's exactly how I feel right now."
Vardy on target vs Juve
Like Rashford, Jamie Vardy has taken his first steps outside of England this season, and after needing some time to get up to full fitness after a summer without a club, the veteran striker is starting to make himself at home in Serie A. After opening his account last week, Vardy made it two goals in three games for Cremonese when he pulled one back against Juventus on Saturday.
Though the ex-Leicester City wasn't able to rescue a point for his side against the Bianconeri, the way he was able to shrug off a defender and produce a finish when presented with a one-on-one opportunity suggested that, despite now being 38, Vardy can still cut it at the highest level and is going to be nuisance for defenders around Italy.
Getty ImagesAdams turns up for Torino
While Vardy is one of a handful of Englishmen plying their trade in Serie A, the Italian top-flight has become more associated with Scotland in recent years, with Scott McTominay leading a strong contingent of players who form a regular part of Steve Clarke's squads. But while this was a quiet weekend for the league's reigning MVP as McTominay and Napoli were held to a 0-0 draw by Como, there was joy for one of his international team-mates.
Che Adams enjoyed a productive debut season at Torino in 2024-25 as the former Southampton forward scored 10 goals in all competitions. He would have hoped, then, to kick on this time around, but before this week's clash with Pisa he had netted just once in the current campaign. You wouldn't have known it from the way he fired home the equaliser for Marco Baroni's side on Sunday, as Adams brought the ball down in the box before lashing a shot past the helpless goalkeeper to earn his side a point after they had fallen two goals down early on to their newly-promoted opposition.
That strike saw Adams surpass legendary Scotsman Denis Law's tally of league goals for Torino, and he will be keen to now go on a run of scoring, starting with next week's derby against Juventus.