Bundesliga continues to develop young English talents as Bellingham, Richards and Oxford further their careers

Jude Bellingham has gone from strength to strength since swapping Birmingham City for Borussia Dortmund around 18 months ago and he is not alone as an Englishman plying his trade in the Bundesliga.

In years gone by, the number of English players moving abroad were few and far between, but in recent years, this has been a common path, particularly for young players in search of some first-team football.

It feels like a good time to check in and have a look at the progress of these talents in Europe.

Jude Bellingham

Jadon Sancho made the move to Borussia Dortmund as a teenager after feeling as if his chances of becoming a first-team regular were better served in Germany than in Manchester City. Sancho went on to become a genuine star in the Bundesliga and launched his career before moving to Manchester United in the summer gone by.

Jude Bellingham has gone for a similar route and is seeing similar results. The midfielder was coveted by a host of Premier League clubs but made the call to move abroad and has thrived.

An excellent first season led to an inclusion in the England squad for the European Championships in the summer and Bellingham has stepped up another level this season. He has made 20 appearances in the league this season, scoring three times. Bellingham has put on some fantastic performances this year and he is considered to be one of the best British players that played in the Bundesliga.

The Birmingham-born star is one of the first names on Marco Rose’s team sheet these days and is being heavily linked with a return to England with Manchester United and Liverpool both believed to be circling.

A continuation of this kind of form will see Dortmund once again making a heavy profit on a young signing.

Omar Richards

Eyebrows were raised last summer when Bayern Munich opted to sign a left-back from a club in the second-tier in England. Omar Richards was out of contract with the now-struggling Reading and weighing up his options when the German champions made their move.

Primarily a back-up, Richards has made eight appearances in the league this season, starting twice. The recent injury to Alphonso Davies would have given Richards hope of making more appearances but Lucas Hernandez has been preferred in the Canadian’s absence.

Even with his struggles for minutes recently, Richards will probably come away with a league winners’ medal and could well add a Champions League winners medal soon.

Reece Oxford

Reece Oxford made his Premier League debut for West Ham as an 18-year-old in 2017 and was touted by many to have a long career ahead of him in claret and blue.

Fast forward four and a half years later and Oxford is playing his football in Bavaria with Augsburg. Once thought of as a future England international, the 23-year-old has made a decent career for himself in Germany having initially had a loan spell with Borussia Mönchengladbach.

The former midfielder has converted to centre back and has played 18 times in the league this season, even scoring his first goals in senior football. Oxford still has plenty of time on his hands and could well return to England at some stage.

There are a few other younger English players in the league currently but have not had as much of an impact as the previous trio.

Felix Nmecha has 10 appearances for Wolfsburg this season but most have come from the bench while Clinton Mola has made three appearances for Stuttgart. Keanen Bennetts has just 47 minutes under his belt for Mönchengladbach, although he has played seven times for their second team.

These younger players should not feel too pressured though. Sancho and Bellingham are exceptional talents and biding their time should lead to more appearances and opportunities.

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