Seagulls On Tour: Brighton’s International Family

International breaks used to be dull. No Premier League, no Amex roar, just a chance to mow the lawn. Now? It’s a Brighton world tour. Twenty-one of our lot are away with their countries this September. That’s not a squad, that’s practically a family holiday, if your family all happen to be professional athletes with jet lag.

The familiar faces

Evan Ferguson, still just 19, is leading the line for Ireland. Watching him bully seasoned defenders is like watching your kid brother turn up at five-a-side and suddenly nutmeg everyone. And yes, every Irish commentator insists on calling him “Brighton’s Evan Ferguson.” It never gets old.

Kaoru Mitoma is out with Japan, weaving past defenders in the States and Mexico. There’s something comforting about it—you know that wherever he is, he’ll still be gliding past two markers with that same calm face. Brighton fans claim him as an extended family member: that’s our Kaoru.

Bart Verbruggen and Jan Paul van Hecke are in orange for the Netherlands. Bart looks like he was born to catch footballs for a living, and Jan Paul has quietly become that cousin who sorts out all the mess before anyone notices. Brighton names, Dutch shirts, same calm reliability.

And it goes on. Maxim De Cuyper is with Belgium, Carlos Baleba is doing his thing for Cameroon, Yasin Ayari is busy for Sweden, Diego Gómez is stepping up for Paraguay, Yankuba Minteh is flying down the wing for The Gambia, and Ferdi Kadioglu is with Türkiye. Everywhere you look, there’s an Albion player making noise.

The next generation

It’s not just the seniors. Jack Hinshelwood, Tommy Watson and James Beadle are all in England’s U21s. Brajan Gruda is in Germany’s U21s. Ireland’s youth teams keep hoarding our academy talent, while Sweden and England U18s add their share. Even the Philippines U23s have Brighton blood with Isaiah Alakiu. The Lancing training ground isn’t just producing players—it’s producing passports full of stamps.

Why we care

Brighton fans watch internationals differently now. It’s no longer “who’s on the telly.” It’s “how’s our lad doing?” That nervous flutter when Ferguson goes up for a header. That grin when Mitoma ghosts past a defender. That sigh of relief when Van Hecke comes off with all his limbs intact. We don’t just support them at the Amex anymore. We follow them anywhere their shirt takes them.

Just don’t get injured

Let’s be honest. The only real prayer every Brighton fan mutters during the break: please, please, come back fit. Goals are nice, clean sheets are lovely, but nothing matters if someone pulls a hamstring in Yerevan. We’ll take no headlines over physio room drama.

Back to business

Once the flags are folded away, it’s Bournemouth away on Saturday 13 September. A short trip, a smaller stadium, and a reminder that the Amex crowd makes more noise in a pre-match warm-up than Bournemouth manage in ninety minutes. After that, Spurs. Their billion-pound cheese room can wait.

What it means

Brighton isn’t just a club tucked away on the south coast anymore. It’s a family stretched across continents. From Tokyo to Dublin, Stockholm to Banjul, you’ll find a Seagull on the pitch. And every time a commentator says “Brighton’s…” before their name, it feels like a little nod back home.

We’re everywhere now. And we like it that way..............UTA