The summer's international stars who can light up EFL
Watford's Giorgi Chakvetadze (right) and his Georgia team-mates inflicted a group-stage loss on Cristiano Ronaldo and Portugal at Euro 2024
- Published
The summer starts to end when the English Football League begins.
But some of the EFL's biggest stars have had little time on the sun loungers sipping cocktails as they have been playing in big international tournaments for their countries.
BBC Sport looks at some of the summer's international stand-outs who may well be lighting up the English Football League this season.
Among them is a man who got the better of Cristiano Ronaldo - and another whose middle name is Zidane. Yes, you read that right...
Marcelino Nunez - Norwich City
Norwich City's Marcelino Nunez (left) faced the likes of Angel Di Maria when Chile took on Argentina at the Copa America
Having lost in the Championship play-offs to Leeds United and then faced the likes of Lionel Messi, Alexis Mac Allister and Alphonso Davies at the Copa America, Norwich's Marcelino Nunez could be forgiven for wanting a rest.
The Chile midfielder was part of his nation's squad at the Copa America in a group with World Cup winners Argentina, Canada and Peru.
Sadly for the 24-year-old, his country did not progress out of the group after goalless draws with Canada and Peru and a 1-0 loss to Argentina.
With a deal that runs to the summer of 2026, expect to see Nunez at Carrow Road again this season - he has made 81 appearances in the Canaries' engine room since g from Universidad Catolica two years ago.
Giorgi Chakvetadze - Watford
Giorgi Chakvetadze (left) was the first person to celebrate with Georgia's star man Khvicha Kvaratskhelia after the minnows took the lead in their 4-1 loss to Spain
Everybody's second team at the Euros was Georgia (unless you were a Scotland fan, in which case it was whoever was playing England...).
And the lowest-ranked team in the tournament did not disappoint as they made it out of the group stage with Watford midfielder Giorgi Chakvetadze helping to pull the strings.
Chakvetadze played in all four of Georgia's matches as they went out 4-1 to eventual champions Spain in the last 16.
But in the group stage they impressed, bouncing back from a 3-1 loss against Turkey to draw 1-1 with Czech Republic before a memorable 2-0 victory over group winners Portugal that had fans dancing on the streets of Tbilisi.
The 24-year-old made his move to Vicarage Road permanent in February after initially ing from Belgian side Gent on loan a year ago and will hope to add to the one goal he scored for Watford last season.
Hornets boss Tom Cleverley is among those expecting Chakvetadze to make a big impact.
Haji Wright - Coventry City
The Copa America capped a fine 2024 for Coventry City's Haji Wright
Having moved to Coventry City for a club-record £7.7m last summer, big things were expected of Haji Wright in a Sky Blue shirt.
His season started slowly, but the 26-year-old burst into life come the turn of the year as he scored 12 goals from January onwards to help Coventry finish ninth in the Championship - as well as having a big hand in their dream FA Cup run.
Wright struck a stoppage-time winner at Premier League side Wolves in the quarter -finals before converting a similarly late penalty to make it 3-3 against Manchester United in the semi-final which they heartbreakingly went on to lose on spot-kicks.
That form led to the 26-year-old being called up for the United States for the Copa America on home turf and he featured in their 1-0 group loss to Uruguay alongside Norwich City's Josh Sargent.
Callum Styles - Barnsley
Callum Styles' Hungarian eligibility comes via his grandmother
"Isn't he the lad that was at Barnsley">