Anthony Gordon joined Barcelona from Newcastle in the summer
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Bayern Munich's Ballon d'Or winner Harry Kane, Real Madrid's Jude Bellingham, Barcelona's Anthony Gordon – three of England's star players, all of whom are playing their club football abroad.
The Premier League is widely regarded as the most competitive league in the world with the greatest financial muscle, but that does not always translate to the biggest individual profiles and, increasingly, star names are looking elsewhere.
Since Cristiano Ronaldo won the Ballon d'Or in 2008, for example, only Rodri in 2024 was playing in England at the time of being crowned the best player in the world. Michael Owen, in 2001, was the last Englishman to do so while in England.
The trend of English players going abroad has gathered pace since a teenage Jadon Sancho signed for Borussia Dortmund in 2017 and that is reflected in this current Three Lions squad – seven of the initial 25 play outside England.
"Jude Bellingham and Harry Kane were decisive for us in the World Cup and I see no reason they won't be in the future," said England boss Thomas Tuchel when talking about his big stars playing outside of their home country.
"It's good that Anthony has stepped up now. He is the third one. There is obviously a relevance to them playing abroad but I don't see that a player who plays in the Premier League cannot step up and be decisive for us."
At the World Cup in the summer and during the last international break, however, it was those three players' goals and assists that proved decisive.
What could the impact be?
Currently there are 43 English players on the Football Association's radar playing their club football in Europe.
The FA's technical director John McDermott believes it is a "huge positive" to have so many players playing across Europe.
"I spoke to a couple of the boys that are playing abroad at the moment," he told BBC Sport. "The exposure they get in those leagues, playing Champions League or European football, where you're not necessarily having to bang out 55 games, but you still have got time to do your weight training and your gym work.
"Often if you're playing in the English competition or in the EFL, where it's 46 games – you know it's game, game, game, which is fantastic – but for some players that opportunity to get the training in-between and to practise developing on technique or other areas, there's benefits to that."
McDermott was previously at Tottenham Hotspur and says that even when he was in club football, he was a "big believer" in players going abroad to "develop character" and "independence".
"I think being in another changing room and learning another language just puts you under the pressure to adapt," he added.
"And I think for any young person that ability not only to become technically, tactically more adept, but also culturally have to pick up something else – it's huge and prevents people from becoming complacent or just getting used to the same old, same old."
Gordon said in the recent international break he feels he gets more respect now he plays for one of Europe's elite sides, compared with when he was at Newcastle.
"I think he's always been respected," McDermott said.
"I remember when Trips (Kieran Trippier) came back, and Trips was a good player, but when he came back from Atletico (Madrid) I noticed he was just maybe tighter technically and noticed there was a change that Kieran came back with.
"So I'm not sure if he's respected more… but I think you want all of the players – whether they stay in England [or not] – every six months you see this sort of incremental step where they've added something, another dimension to the game.
"That can sometimes come in this country, obviously, playing with different players, being in new competitions, but I think going abroad definitely helps that.
"And I've seen that with Anthony already and some of the other boys. They come back, it's four months since you've seen them and there's another dimension there."
McDermott is keen to make clear that developing in England can still be of a huge benefit and that Jarell Quansah and Jobe Bellingham, two of England's squad who are now playing in Germany, also played in the EFL.
"There's all different ways, I don't think there's this elixir, I don't think there's this magic formula, 'this is the way'," McDermott said.
England reached the semi-finals of the World Cup for just the third time in their history in the summer.
McDermott was asked if he thought now the Three Lions had more players abroad, it could help develop England's style or performance in major tournaments.
"Yeah, possibly. Again don't underestimate if you're playing now in the Champions League at an English club," he said.
"We would like more players in the pipeline. I think at the moment we're on about 26% or 27% English-qualified players playing the Premier League.
"We've got 40 to 50 players playing at Champions League quality and playing in European football, top Premier League clubs, so let's not underestimate our own product."
McDermott says it is clear the impact having players in different countries is having on the squad, but it is then down to the manager to blend the style.
"I think the different cultural experiences they get, the different exposure they get to play in different types of football is fantastic.
"But still, the England manager has got to try and find that singular blend when they come back of the English players, the Spanish players, the German players, the Italian players, it's all sort of an eclectic mix that they're bringing."
England's record goalscorer, appearance maker and captain Harry Kane is playing his club football in Germany with Bayern Munich, while Jude Bellingham has never played in the Premier League – leaving Birmingham for Borussia Dortmund and now Real Madrid
People did not respect 'quality and IQ' in England
Gordon has impressed since making his move to Barcelona in the summer with three goals and five assists in 15 appearances in all competitions.
The 25-year-old is regularly lining up with some of the best players in the world, in a front line alongside Lamine Yamal and Raphinha.
The lure of European giants like Real Madrid, Barcelona and Bayern Munich is hard for any player to turn down.
Arsenal's approach for Vinicius Jr this summer was always going to be hard to complete as the famous white shirt and lifestyle in Madrid is, for most players, the pinnacle.
But does moving abroad to one of Europe's top clubs also alter people's perceptions of English players?
"I always felt in England, people respected me because I was fast and I pressed, but they never actually respected the quality and IQ that I play with," Gordon said in a recent interview with ITV.
"Only the players I play with ever seem to notice that. I think now I'm at Barcelona and I play a different style, those qualities are highlighted much more and people are actually starting to take notice that I'm not just quick."
Gordon produced some standout moments in the World Cup, assisting both of Kane's goals in the last-32 win over DR Congo, winning a penalty in England's last-16 win over Mexico and scoring the goal to put England ahead in the semi-final against Argentina.
Captain Kane said the winger is "showing that he belongs at the highest level, for Barcelona and England" and that Gordon is "relishing" being one of England's "main men".
"I think it's great," added England and Leeds striker Dominic Calvert-Lewin. "The fact that we've got top-level English players playing abroad now at top European clubs, I think it's only good for English football and us as a national team.
"You see they bring different experiences that they're learning from overseas and they bring it into this group and I think as you can see they're only growing in confidence and as players and I think it's only a positive thing."
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