It won’t be long until the 2023/24 Premier League season ends, and all focus switches to the European Championships that take place in Germany this summer., The Seagulls will have several players involved in the tournament, with a couple in particular hoping to be involved in the squad that wins the competition at the very least.
Lewis Dunk
Brighton skipper Lewis Dunk is finally getting the recognition he deserves after consistent high-level performances at centre-half for a number of years. England manager Gareth Southgate included Dunk in his most recent squad, starting him against Belgium, and he’s highly likely to be a part of the now 26-man team travelling to Germany. Dunk won’t necessarily be a starter at the outset, but he could get minutes, with England the favourites to win the tournament according to Euro 2024 betting markets.
Pascal Gross
Pascal Gross was finally recognised at senior international level by Germany based on his performances for The Seagulls, and while it was Hansi Flick who gave the versatile player his debut, Julian Nagelsmann has continued to involve him in squads, which is a promising sign ahead of the Euros. As is the case with England, there’s a lot of expectation on Germany to do well, especially as the home nation, and with Gross able to play in a number of positions, he could be a solid choice off the bench at times. It’s not beyond him to force his way into the starting XI due to his consistency.
Billy Gilmour
Billy Gilmour, 22, has been around the senior Scotland group for a while, compared to Dunk and Gross, both thirty-two, who have only just started to be recognised at the level. Of the three, Gilmour is the one who you can pretty much bank on starting games at the Euros, although a difficult task lay ahead for Scotland in Group A as they come up against Germany, Switzerland and Hungary. Gilmour is renowned for being able to play from deep and keep the ball moving, which is what Steve Clarke’s side will require, especially against the better teams they will face.
Bart Verbruggen
Bart Verbruggen will undoubtedly go to the Euros as part of the Netherlands squad, but whether he will start or not remains another question. Current Netherlands boss Ronald Koeman gave the twenty-one-year-old his debut, and he has started for his country recently in competitive and non-competitive fixtures. But Brentford’s Mark Flekken and Brest’s Marco Bizot will also fancy their chances of playing, so Koeman has to decide who will be his number-one choice this summer.
Jan Paul van Hecke
Jan Paul van Hecke, 23, has never been called up to the senior Netherlands squad but has eight U21 caps to his name and has played regularly for Brighton this season. Van Hecke’s selection at this point seems unlikely. Still, he’s done everything he can to make a case for himself, registering thirty-nine appearances for The Seagulls in all competitions. Euro 2024 could come too soon, but you’d think he’d certainly get a chance at future international tournaments.
