Sunderland had seven major players called up for international duty this September, with many performing well.
Despite being just four games into the Championship season, the campaign came to a sudden halt at the end of August due to the international break.
For Regis Le Bris, it was far from ideal, with the Black Cats on a roll after winning their first four Championship games.
Despite many major stars in the Sunderland squad departing to play for their countries, they have continued their form in the Nations League or at youth level.
Below, Sunderland AFC News has listed every major player who was called up for the break and how they performed for their nations.
Dan Ballard – Northern Ireland
Dan Ballard was once again called up to the Northern Ireland squad and the defender competed in both Nations League fixtures against Luxembourg and Bulgaria.
In the former, the 24-year-old did well and started in a 2-0 victory where he got the nation’s second.
For his performance, Ballard was described as ‘commanding all night’ against the Luxembourgers.
In the following game, Ballard had less luck. The centre-back was part of the side that lost 1-0 to Bulgaria. Belfast Live rated his performance a 6/10, stating that he was ‘caught out for the only goal’.
Chris Rigg – England Under 18s
Chris Rigg continued his incredible rise in the footballing industry with another call-up to the England Under 18s this September.
The midfielder took part in the Lafarge International Tournament where he was up against Portugal, Switzerland and France.
Rigg came on in the first match which ended in a 2-2 draw and level after penalties. Following this, the midfielder started against Switzerland which resulted in a 1-1 and another draw in the penalty shootout.
In the final fixture against France, Rigg was part of the build-up play for Trey Nyoni’s opener before an equaliser quickly cancelled it out. While this time around England did win the penalty shootout, it wasn’t enough to win the tournament.
Alan Browne – Republic of Ireland
Sunderland’s new summer signing once again added to his many Republic of Ireland caps this September.
The experienced midfielder had two tough fixtures against both England and Greece in the Nations League.
In the former match, Alan Browne came onto the pitch with just 15 minutes left to play as the game ended 2-0 to the Three Lions.
However, on Tuesday night, he returned to the line-up as Greece beat his side 2-0. Browne’s performance against Greece was solid, with the media claiming that the midfielder was ‘getting into good positions’ and was ‘looking busy’.
Milan Aleksic – Serbia
Another new Sunderland signing, while Milan Aleksic has not yet put on the Sunderland colours since his deadline day move, he has been called up to the Serbian senior side.
Up against both Spain and Denmark in the Nations League, the midfielder did not make an appearance in either game. However, it was no doubt a fantastic experience for the youngster.
Chris Mepham – Wales
Sunderland’s deadline day signing once again made the Wales squad for the Nations League.
In his country’s first game against Turkey, the defender did not play, however, he did start on Monday night in a 2-1 victory against Montenegro.
Wales Online rated his performance a 7/10, claiming he ‘didn’t do an awful lot wrong’, while he also made more clearances than any other player.
Jobe Bellingham – England Men’s Elite League Squad
Jobe Bellingham was called up to the England Men’s Elite League Squad, formerly known as the England Under 20s this September.
Up against Turkey and Romania, the midfielder started against the former side as the match ended in a 1-1 draw.
In the 2-0 victory against Romania, Bellingham was not part of the squad.
Trai Hume – Northern Ireland
The final player on this list is Trai Hume. It was a big international break for the defender for many reasons.
Coming into the break on fine form, Hume was selected to be the Northern Ireland captain against both Luxembourg and Bulgaria.
After Hume was accredited to be the ‘standout player’ against Luxembourg, he had a less fruitful game against Bulgaria. According to Belfast Live, the defender had a ‘tough night’ despite working hard.