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Callum Styles: From watching the Euros in the pub to playing in the tournament with Hungary

Callum Styles: From watching the Euros in the pub to playing in the tournament with Hungary

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At the last European Championships, Callum Styles cheered on the Three Lions in a local pub in Manchester, as they were defeated by Italy in the final at Wembley. Back then, he would have never imagined that a year later, he would be cheering on England’s worst home defeat since 1928. 

By Ben Bocsák

But in the space of a year, the Englishman had become a full Hungarian international and started for the Mighty Magyars as they defeated Gareth Southgate’s side 4-0 at Molineaux Stadium. 

Now at this summer’s Euros, he will be on the pitch rather than sitting in a pub. 

Styles found out he qualified for his adopted nation through his grandmother late in 2021. A few months later, he earned his first international call-up to the national team during friendly fixtures in March 2022 against Serbia and Ireland.

Since then, he has become a key part of Marco Rossi’s side playing all but two of Hungary’s last 25 international matches.

He’s expected to be a key cog for Hungary in Germany as his side look to continue their good run of form, which saw them qualify to the tournament unbeaten.

“I feel like it’s my second home.” Styles told FotMob after Hungary’s victory over Serbia back in October last year.

“I think as a team and as coaching staff we have we have a really good group and hopefully we bring more success along the way.”

Only recently turned 24, Styles has provided much needed energy in the Hungarian midfield.

He was the star of Hungary’s midfield in a 2-0 victory over Kosovo earlier this year in which he won five out of five duels and made seven recoveries – which was the most alongside Dominik Szoboszlai in the Hungarian team.

Tenacious and technically gifted, Styles is capable of covering a lot of ground for Hungary, and he isn’t afraid to get stuck in either.

Out of Hungary’s midfielders in qualifying Styles averaged the second most tackles won (0.7 per 90) and interceptions (0.9 per 90), as per FotMob.

Often playing in a midfield three, Styles’ role is to provide stability in the middle of the park for Hungary while also looking to progress the ball into dangerous territories. 

He isn’t a nailed on starter with Union Berlin midfielder András Schäfer providing competition, but Styles is a useful option for Marco Rossi. Especially, due to his versatility. 

While for Hungary he has played predominantly as a midfielder, for Sunderland this season he has played as a left-back and left-wing-back in the Championship. He’s very much capable of playing there at international level as well, and has filled in at times when necessary in the left-back role.

It’s a testament to Styles’ quality that Hungary have not lost a single game that he has started for his adopted nation so far, with the 24-year-old having won nine games and drawn five times in 14 starts.

“We just keep winning,” Styles said. “Which is unbelievable and that’s what we all want as a team.” 

Having made his debut just over two years ago, Styles now seems settled in the Hungarian team. While learning the language is still part of the process, the midfielder has admitted he’s making progress. 

“It’s coming. I’m not pulling sentences together yet, but keywords and stuff like that. And I’m getting to learn a lot more day-by-day and I think that’s the main thing. It’s a hard language. I only know English, so for me to learn another language, it’s going to be a slow process, but it’s happening.

Some of the lads are teaching me some stuff as well. There’s a few players like Gabor [Szalai] that’s teaching me well. 

I just know the please, thank you, hi, good morning and all the colours because I play a lot of pool.

But on the pitch, I don’t need to know that much because they [teammates] know the basics like left, right, and stuff like that. So yeah, but it’s coming along.”

And it’s not just the language that Styles is learning in the Hungarian team. Playing alongside players like Dominik Szoboszlai provides an inspiration for the English-born midfielder to hone his skills and see the level required to reach the Premier League. 

“He’s a top, top player. He shows it on and off the pitch. He’s a top leader as well,” Styles said. “Just to take a little bit out of his book and to implement it into our game is what we want to do, and it just shows having such a good player it lifts the whole team up.”

Styles’ loan spell expired at Sunderland at the end of the season. He is still contracted to Barnsley, but it’s clear he will be looking to move on from the League One side, especially after a permanent move fell through last summer.

“At the start of last season, the window was still open, so everything was up in the air and my head wasn’t really there. And then obviously things fell through that were meant to go ahead and then once the window closed, my head was back focused on the team.”

For now, he will be fully focused on the Euros, knowing full well it will provide him with an opportunity to put himself in the spotlight in front of the eyes of millions and earn himself the move he will feel he deserves.

“I’m buzzing for it. It’s a shop window and just to be involved in that, let alone to play any minutes, that would be a blessing.”

(Cover image from IMAGO)

You can follow every game from Euro 2024 live with FotMob — featuring deep stats coverage, xG, and player ratings. Download the free app here.

Callum Styles: From watching the Euros in the pub to playing in the tournament with Hungary

At the last European Championships, Callum Styles cheered on the Three Lions in a local pub in Manchester, as they were defeated by Italy in the final at Wembley. Back then, he would have never imagined that a year later, he would be cheering on England’s worst home defeat since 1928. 

By Ben Bocsák

But in the space of a year, the Englishman had become a full Hungarian international and started for the Mighty Magyars as they defeated Gareth Southgate’s side 4-0 at Molineaux Stadium. 

Now at this summer’s Euros, he will be on the pitch rather than sitting in a pub. 

Styles found out he qualified for his adopted nation through his grandmother late in 2021. A few months later, he earned his first international call-up to the national team during friendly fixtures in March 2022 against Serbia and Ireland.

Since then, he has become a key part of Marco Rossi’s side playing all but two of Hungary’s last 25 international matches.

He’s expected to be a key cog for Hungary in Germany as his side look to continue their good run of form, which saw them qualify to the tournament unbeaten.

“I feel like it’s my second home.” Styles told FotMob after Hungary’s victory over Serbia back in October last year.

“I think as a team and as coaching staff we have we have a really good group and hopefully we bring more success along the way.”

Only recently turned 24, Styles has provided much needed energy in the Hungarian midfield.

He was the star of Hungary’s midfield in a 2-0 victory over Kosovo earlier this year in which he won five out of five duels and made seven recoveries – which was the most alongside Dominik Szoboszlai in the Hungarian team.

Tenacious and technically gifted, Styles is capable of covering a lot of ground for Hungary, and he isn’t afraid to get stuck in either.

Out of Hungary’s midfielders in qualifying Styles averaged the second most tackles won (0.7 per 90) and interceptions (0.9 per 90), as per FotMob.

Often playing in a midfield three, Styles’ role is to provide stability in the middle of the park for Hungary while also looking to progress the ball into dangerous territories. 

He isn’t a nailed on starter with Union Berlin midfielder András Schäfer providing competition, but Styles is a useful option for Marco Rossi. Especially, due to his versatility. 

While for Hungary he has played predominantly as a midfielder, for Sunderland this season he has played as a left-back and left-wing-back in the Championship. He’s very much capable of playing there at international level as well, and has filled in at times when necessary in the left-back role.

It’s a testament to Styles’ quality that Hungary have not lost a single game that he has started for his adopted nation so far, with the 24-year-old having won nine games and drawn five times in 14 starts.

“We just keep winning,” Styles said. “Which is unbelievable and that’s what we all want as a team.” 

Having made his debut just over two years ago, Styles now seems settled in the Hungarian team. While learning the language is still part of the process, the midfielder has admitted he’s making progress. 

“It’s coming. I’m not pulling sentences together yet, but keywords and stuff like that. And I’m getting to learn a lot more day-by-day and I think that’s the main thing. It’s a hard language. I only know English, so for me to learn another language, it’s going to be a slow process, but it’s happening.

Some of the lads are teaching me some stuff as well. There’s a few players like Gabor [Szalai] that’s teaching me well. 

I just know the please, thank you, hi, good morning and all the colours because I play a lot of pool.

But on the pitch, I don’t need to know that much because they [teammates] know the basics like left, right, and stuff like that. So yeah, but it’s coming along.”

And it’s not just the language that Styles is learning in the Hungarian team. Playing alongside players like Dominik Szoboszlai provides an inspiration for the English-born midfielder to hone his skills and see the level required to reach the Premier League. 

“He’s a top, top player. He shows it on and off the pitch. He’s a top leader as well,” Styles said. “Just to take a little bit out of his book and to implement it into our game is what we want to do, and it just shows having such a good player it lifts the whole team up.”

Styles’ loan spell expired at Sunderland at the end of the season. He is still contracted to Barnsley, but it’s clear he will be looking to move on from the League One side, especially after a permanent move fell through last summer.

“At the start of last season, the window was still open, so everything was up in the air and my head wasn’t really there. And then obviously things fell through that were meant to go ahead and then once the window closed, my head was back focused on the team.”

For now, he will be fully focused on the Euros, knowing full well it will provide him with an opportunity to put himself in the spotlight in front of the eyes of millions and earn himself the move he will feel he deserves.

“I’m buzzing for it. It’s a shop window and just to be involved in that, let alone to play any minutes, that would be a blessing.”

(Cover image from IMAGO)

You can follow every game from Euro 2024 live with FotMob — featuring deep stats coverage, xG, and player ratings. Download the free app here.