Thursday 11 October 2018 13:57, UK
Jadon Sancho has been rewarded with a senior England call-up, having made the decision to seek regular first-team football abroad, but the former Manchester City youngster is not alone in taking this less-trodden path.
Young English players have never been so in demand. Speaking last year, England Under-21 manager Aidy Boothroyd said of the growing trend: "We may see a little bit more of that because our players are as good as anybody in the world.
"If players get to a ceiling of development and think they can go and play more football somewhere else, it is good for them and should be part of their development."
Sancho has scored one goal and provided eight assists in his 10 appearances in all competitions this season to alert Gareth Southgate of his current rich vein of form, but how have the other Englishmen abroad been getting on?
Chelsea have a close working relationship with Vitesse Arnhem, and the Blues' rather lengthy loan conveyor belt of talent has seen another youngster head for Holland this season.
Defender Jake Clarke-Salter is the latest to make the switch in a bid to further his develop in the company of team-mate Charly Musonda and veteran goalkeeper Eduardo.
The centre-back has featured prominently so far this term in helping Vitesse rise to fifth in the league, playing in all eight games and scoring on his debut in the 5-1 win over Groningen.
City were unable to convince Sancho to stay, but Pep Guardiola has allowed Patrick Roberts to join La Liga outfit Girona for the season.
The 21-year-old winger is yet to start a league game and was an unused substitute in his side's 4-1 defeat to Real Madrid as well as in the 2-2 draw at Barcelona.
He has so far yet to score or provide an assist in five substitute appearances, most recently playing the final nine minutes of the 3-2 home loss to Eibar.
Liverpool winger Sheyi Ojo signed a contract extension at Anfield in the summer before joining Reims in Ligue 1 on a season-long loan.
The former England Under-21 international has played 211 minutes across six Ligue 1 appearances so far, making one of his two starts in Reims' 4-1 defeat at Paris Saint-Germain.
Elsewhere, Chris Willock joined Benfica from Arsenal in June 2017, signing a five-year contract with the Portuguese side.
The England Under-20 international has made 35 league appearances for Benfica B in the LigaPro - Portugal's second tier.
The 20-year-old has had an impressive start to the season, scoring twice and laying on two assists in five appearances so far this campaign.
Ronaldo Vieira was seen as one of Leeds' brightest prospects when he was sold for £7m to Sampdoria two months ago, with the cultured midfielder already having three England Under-21 caps to his name.
While Marcelo Bielsa's side have shown themselves to be capable without him in the Championship, Vieira has played just 25 minutes across two substitute appearances in Serie A.
England Under-20 coach Paul Simpson has given the player his backing despite his limited game-time, calling him up for the forthcoming games against Italy and the Czech Republic.
Reiss Nelson has fared somewhat better having moved on loan to Hoffenheim from Arsenal on August 31.
The 18-year-old was named on the substitutes' bench in the Champions League defeat by Manchester City last month, and he has scored twice in four appearances - including the consolation for Julian Nagelsmann's side in the 2-1 home defeat to Frankfurt last weekend.
Jonathan Panzo, who was a member of the England Under-17 side that beat Spain in the World Cup final last year, is another English youngster who has sought first-team football overseas.
Born in south London to Ivorian parents, Panzo swapped Chelsea for Monaco in the summer having been with the Blues since the age of nine.
But Panzo is yet to feature in a senior matchday squad, not helped by Monaco's dreadful start to the season under Leonardo Jardim, who is reportedly set to lose his job with the club third from bottom in Ligue 1.
The England Under-19 international has been featuring in the Championnat National U19 while playing in Monaco's UEFA Youth League games so far - both 2-0 defeats to Atletico Madrid and Borussia Dortmund.
In June, Tottenham were unable to keep hold of 16-year-old Noni Madueke, who turned down a professional contract with Manchester United in preference of signing for PSV Eindhoven.
The playmaker has starred for England at various youth levels and made his debut in the UEFA Youth League last season for Spurs.
He is now hoping to catch the eye of England Under-17 head coach Steve Cooper and he has so far made two appearances in the Dutch Youth League.
Reo Griffiths became the first English player to sign for Lyon in July after rejecting the option to stay at Tottenham, and the striker has been placed in the club's reserve team in French football's fourth tier.
Griffiths scored an impressive 33 goals for Tottenham Under 18s and was widely tipped to make his breakthrough under Mauricio Pochettino this term.
But having made the switch to France, the striker is yet to feature for Lyon II in five games this season.
Following the successful loan spell of Ademola Lookman at RB Leipzig, 19-year-old Keanan Bennetts is another Englishman to try his luck in the Bundesliga, aided by him having a German mother.
The winger rejected the opportunity to stay at Tottenham to join Borussia Monchengladbach for £2m in the summer.
A strain kept him out of the first month of the season, but Bennetts has returned to make four appearances in the Regionalliga West, Germany's fourth tier.
Denzeil Boadu has followed in the footsteps of Sancho in heading for Dortmund after falling out of favour at Manchester City.
The 21-year-old failed to cement a first-team spot in City's Under-23 team but having made 15 appearances in the Regionalliga West last season, he has only made the substitutes' bench on one occasion this term, not helped by a knee problem.
