Callum Styles is preparing for his major tournament this summer – and admits he’s still pinching himself about the opportunity to represent Hungary at Euro 2024.
Born in Greater Manchester, the 24-year-old qualifies for Hungary via a grandparent and made his debut two years ago, in a friendly against Serbia.
“My mum’s mum was born there – her side of the family is all Hungarian,” Styles said, during an interview with FourFourTwo.
“We knew our grandparents weren’t from England, but I never really had a chat with my mum until I was older, when she told us a little bit more.
“Then when I was at Barnsley, I did an interview for a matchday programme, mentioned it and it caught fire. Someone got hold of the story, then the Hungarian team made contact with me.
“Everything happened so fast – I didn’t expect them to be so eager, but it was a good feeling.
“I needed to sort out a passport but the coach (Marco Rossi) rang me in November 2021 and told me, 'I want you to come to the games in March'.
“I remember replying, ‘What, do you mean just to watch?’ He said, ‘No… to play!' I was like, ‘Oh, right!’
“That was when I made my debut. Since then, time has flown by. It’s been incredible.”
Styles’ debut for Hungary was actually the first time he’d ever visited the country.
“Back in 2020, me and my missus had planned to visit Budapest, but then COVID hit,” he explained. “Two years later, I ended up making my debut on my first visit.
“It felt surreal – I was 21 and thought I’d be called up for the under-21s, but the coach said, ‘No, no, I want you in my team’. The stadium was unbelievable, it holds 60,000, and even for friendlies they sell out every game – the fans are some of the best I’ve come across.
“The city was beautiful as well. My girlfriend and my family travelled to watch the game, and afterwards we explored and went on a boat trip. It was just superb.”
Going into the squad for the first time proved less scary than he’d initially feared.
“It was quite daunting at first, but the lads and staff were really welcoming,” he said.
“I don’t speak fluent Hungarian, but everyone in the world seems to speak English! The coach is Italian, so all of the meetings are in English and it was a lot easier than I thought to settle in.”
Styles made his 20th appearance for Hungary this March, and has been named in their 26-man squad for the Euros.
“As a kid, I wanted to play international football and I’ve bagged 20 caps now – I never would have dreamed of that,” said the midfielder, who spent the end of the 2023-24 campaign on loan at Sunderland from Barnsley.
“I’ve got to keep going but, at the same time, you need to take a step back and think, ‘Wow, I’m living the dream’.
“There’s part of me that’s a bit nervous about the Euros, because it’s a massive stage, but you just have to enjoy it.
“You’ll look back on it when you retire as an experience you’ll never forget.”
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