The 'guiri' invasion

Spanish football is benefitting like never before from the talents of British and Irish footballers. In 30 years of commentating on La Liga, I have never experienced such an influx of so many players from the Isles - and most are making headlines.

Anthony Gordon was the big-money summer signing; Jude Bellingham is at Real Madrid; Robbie Ure has immediately won admirers at Sevilla; Troy Parrott has them all talking at Real Betis; Ademola Lookman is a key player for Atlético; and locals will know of Aaron Ochoa Moloney. Plus, Trent Alexander-Arnold is still trying to fully establish himself at the Bernabéu.

The England pair are key performers at the big two. Gordon made an immediate impression after his €80m move to Barcelona. He was the ideal “impact substitute” when setting up two goals on his debut against Elche. It looks like he will be an upgrade on the previous Englishman Marcus Rashford.

Jude Bellingham appears to be back to his very best. The folks back home realised just how good he is when they saw him pull on the “Three Lions” shirt in the summer. Now that he is fully recovered from his shoulder operation, he can take his game to an even higher level. He scored an important goal in Real Madrid’s opening day win at Espanyol and followed it up with a crucial assist for Kylian Mbappé in the victory over Real Sociedad. I’m convinced he will prove to be world-class by the end of the season.

Capital rivals Atlético de Madrid will be depending on another English-born talent, Ademola Lookman. The Nigeria international hit the ground when scoring nine goals after signing in the winter transfer window. He will be asked to raise his game with Antoine Griezmann moving on and the uncertain future of Julián Álvarez.

Robbie Ure and Troy Parrott are not too well known back home - but the Scot and Irishman are creating excitement in the footballing city of Sevilla. Ure left Rangers and his native Glasgow to seek his fame in the leagues of Europe. First in Belgium and, last season, at Sirius of Sweden. A six-foot-two physical striker is just what Sevilla and, indeed, the Scotland national team have been looking for. His impact was immediate, winning a penalty on his debut against Rayo Vallecano as a substitute. The fans demanded his inclusion from the start against Athletic Bilbao and his performance was instrumental in their 3-1 win. They’re exceeding expectations with back-to-back wins.

The only player who is having a challenging time is Alexander-Arnold. He didn’t make the starting line-up for either of Jose Mourinho’s opening two matches and will have a tough task to displace Denzel Dumfries who was signed in the summer. Mourinho always seems to upset a star and Trent could be his latest subject.

And ,finally, keep an eye out for the name Aaron Ochoa Moloney. Málaga fans will be very aware of a talented young man who made his debut as a 16-year-old and has been a part of the rise from the third division to the top-tier. A knee injury is delaying the La Liga debut of a talented teenager who was born in Marbella to an Irish mum and Spanish dad. Let’s hope he fulfils his promise.

We look forward to a season when the group of guiris are making waves.