Five PL outcasts who staked their club claim for their countries

International breaks can offer respite for some Premier League players from the stresses of their clubs. These five have struggled for form, game time or both with their club sides but impressed on international duty…

Timo Werner

A report on Tuesday claimed Chelsea would accept just over £33m for Werner this summer, having paid £48m for him two years ago. The formerly prolific striker has become a weird combination of cult hero and figure of fun at Stamford Bridge. He receives perplexing support from the fans despite failing to find anything like the goalscoring touch he enjoyed in the Bundesliga, often tripping over himself before he can even get into a position to score.

Watching him play for Chelsea – for whom he’s scored just 19 goals in 80 appearances – it’s hard to believe he was banging them in at a rate of one every 100 minutes in his last season at RB Leipzig. But despite having his confidence completely sapped in the Premier League, he continues to perform for Germany.

National manager Hansi Flick has started Werner in all seven games for which he’s been fit since the former Bayern boss took over in August. And Werner has repaid that faith with six goals and an assist. Ironically, given they often play as though it’s their first time together whenever they step on the pitch for Chelsea, Werner has formed a fine partnership with Kai Havertz.

It may not be a Werner problem, it may be a Werner at Chelsea problem. He’s not the first striker, or even the only current striker, for whom that is the case.

Steven Bergwijn

Bergwijn’s Spurs zenith came in his very first game for the club in February 2020, as he scored the opener in a 2-0 win over Manchester City. He’s started just 24 Premier League games in the two