Norwich City: Josh Sargent future analysed after Copa exit

Perhaps in the case of a drawn-out transfer saga, or an unpopular player desperate for game time when their form less than warrants it. Maybe someone favoured by a head coach they're calling to be sacked.

But when club players are involved in major tournaments with their countries, even if they aren't the same countries as their fans support, they tend to wish them luck and hope for success.

That was very much the case when Wes Hoolahan scored at Euro 2016 for the Republic of Ireland, alongside Norwich City club-mate Robbie Brady. It was the case when Leroy Fer went to the World Cup with the Netherlands two years earlier and when Przemyslaw Placheta went to the Euros with Poland three years ago.

Even when a small section of the fanbase revelled in Scotland's failings at this year's tournament, the large majority of Norwich supporters hoped at least for good performances from Angus Gunn, Grant Hanley and Kenny McLean.

But across the pond, where the same number of City stars took place in the Copa America, it felt slightly different. For Marcelino Nunez and Jose Cordoba it's been the same familiar cocktail of intrigue and encouragement, but in truth Josh Sargent's case has been a paradox.

The American played for his country at the Copa America (Image: Paul Chesterton/Focus Images Ltd)

He'll have been desperate to succeed at the tournament, a home one for Gregg Berhalter's side and his first international appearance since the World Cup in 2022. But with the yellow and green-tinted glasses on, it was the worst-case scenario.

When Sargent broke down midway through the Canaries' play-off semi-final second-leg defeat to Leeds United at Elland Road, being replaced at half time by Borja Sainz, the thing it appeared he needed most was a rest.

Much more than the careful fitness management and the sports science forecasts, it felt like he just needed a good six weeks to forget about football and take the stress off an ankle still recovering from damage done in August 2023.

Within 13 days of that play-off defeat, however, the national team were meeting to begin their preparations.

The fact that the 24-year-old spent a large part of those preparations training individually and missed both warm-up games tells its own story. The messages the US medical team were hearing from City's own department were likely similar to what they were telling David Wagner before his sacking.

The fact it has taken discussions in this detail to simply give Sargent a chance to feature is concerning, especially more than six months after he returned to action at Millwall. Combine that with an off-colour spell following an ankle injury in 2022 and the long-term picture doesn't look good.

That's why this pre-season is so important for him, to prove himself not only to a new head coach with very different ideals and a contrasting approach to Wagner's, but as someone who's well and truly shaken off those ankle issues.

His performance in that regard isn't just to secure a place in Johannes Hoff Thorup's starting line-up, something he's surely guaranteed in any case given his ability, but also perhaps to show the transfer market he isn't a risk.

For the club that could be important too, with finances limited and a significant profit needed before the window closes late next month. Although fans will hope to hold onto their number nine, his value depleting would be bad news for sporting director Ben Knapper.

Had the US navigated the group stage rather than their shock exit, Sargent's pre-season would likely have been even shorter, and his time away from football crammed in to a greater extent.

That's why many fans will be quietly pleased by his country's untimely dumping from the tournament, even if they do only want the best for him.