Former Man City starlet taking La Liga by storm after surprise summer move

Marcus Rashford and Trent Alexander-Arnold weren't the only English footballers to decide try their luck in Spain over the summer and Tyrhys Dolan has hit the ground running

English footballers have been all the rage in La Liga this summer, with Trent Alexander-Arnold joining Jude Bellingham at Real Madrid and Marcus Rashford completing a loan move to Barcelona. They weren't the only ones, though, and compatriot Tyrhys Dolan has hit the ground running since joining Espanyol from Blackburn in a summer switch which might have flown under the radar - at least compared to those other two deals.

Espanyol ended last season just two points clear of the drop zone, but have suffered defeat in only one of their opening seven matches - away to Real Madrid at the Bernabeu - and will finish the weekend in the European positions if they can overcome Real Betis on Sunday. Former Manchester City academy talent Dolan has contributed significantly, claiming two assists in a 3-2 triumph over Mallorca and chipping in defensively, vindicating his choice to take a major leap when his deal at Ewood Park ran out.

"Being a free agent, you're going to get quite a few offers, which I did. But when the Espanyol offer got brought to me, that was something that I felt like I needed to take that next step into my career," Dolan told the Mirror.

"La Liga is obviously one of the best leagues in the world and for me, it's a real challenge, one that I wanted to take. It's stepping out of my comfort zone, and I think that's when you see players, you know, make them sacrifices and go on and test themselves, it brings out the best of them, so, you know, that was what was appealing to me.

"It's always tough leaving home, but to get the most out of your career you've got to make sacrifices. And it's nice to see that it's paying off."

Dolan, now 23, came through City's youth system as a youngster and had a spell at Preston North End before establishing himself at Blackburn - the club where he made his EFL debut. He turned out more than 200 times for Rovers, sharing the pitch with talents like Adam Wharton and Joe Rothwell who subsequently secured Premier League moves.

When the opportunity arose to leave Blackburn, he ventured even further from his roots, and he admits to missing certain home comforts. He's one of seven siblings and would regularly return to his mother's Manchester home following training sessions, but recognises the sacrifices his loved ones are making now to support his Catalan adventure.

"That's been the biggest change for me, just like you're kind of isolating yourself, but I've got a top support system," he said. "My family are coming over for the game on Sunday and my friends, they're willing to visit any time I need someone there, if needed. So yeah, it's been obviously a big change, but I know that there're only a two-and-a-half hour flight away it's not the other side of the world.

"To have your loved ones there, it's just like that safety net, that security. When they're in the stadium and you're playing a match and you know your loved ones are there, it's it's that feeling [that] no matter how the game goes, good game, bad game, you've got someone to go back to and conversate with.

"So definitely it's important to have your people around you when you can, really, without changing their lives too much. You don't want to start [making them fly out] every single week because they feel like they need to, but it is nice and they're willing to do that whenever possible."

Espanyol feels like a family club to Dolan, with manager Manolo Gonzalez giving him a warm welcome and even messing around with him despite the language barrier.

He's taking two language lessons each week as he strives to communicate more effectively with his teammates and supporters - though there's also a touch of Englishness within the changing room when it comes to their mentality.

His new teammates have a determined work ethic, and he gets the sense they have been reacting to last campaign's narrow escape by setting out to demonstrate they deserve their place, whilst regular squad meals strengthen that feeling of unity.

Regarding Dolan's own performances, the backing he's gained from boss Gonzalez has proved crucial. "He wants me to to express myself as much as I can. and sometimes previously I've had managers where I feel like there's been ceilings being put on my creativity," Dolan explained. "People have the way they want to work, and that's fine, but I think he's really allowing me to be myself and I think that's when I do play my best football, when I'm given that that license to go and create.

"He said, 'I've brought you here to do that, so I want you to maximise it as best as you can, but don't forget you've got to get back and defend!' You know, you make sure that I'm working hard, but some things don't need to be explained to me. I know that that's a standard.

"I base myself off of working hard, so I'm always back helping my full-backs at any point. And yeah he's just's been amazing with me. He also understands it's a big change coming from your home to new environments and... you just know that he's got that love for you without actually expressing it, you can feel it."

Whilst former Premier League starters Alexander-Arnold and Rashford could chat to teammates and England squad members about what La Liga might offer, Dolan lacked the same resource. He remembers discussing the league with ex-Blackburn colleague Ben Brereton Diaz following the Chile star's switch to Villarreal, though they hadn't spoken directly before Dolan's own transfer - and he acknowledges a heads-up about expectations could have left him rattled.

"The standard of course in itself is a massive jump and that's no disrespect to the Championship," he added. "It's an amazing league with some quality, quality players, but the quality here is different.

"It's more like that on the ball quality, the tactics that go into the game is just a different level and it's also that consistency... You've got to be consistent in this league because all the top players are consistent and every single game you've got to be at it because you can get really punished.

"It's not kind of who just turns up on the day. It's you're playing against top, top teams, so for us, it's just like preparing right and, yeah, for me, it's been a big change. I know some people do struggle with the transition, but for me, so far, it's kind of been going good.

"It's not been easy, but,` it's gone well for me. the first seven games of the season. So, yeah, I'm happy with myself and how I perform, but I don't want to rest. I've got to keep working because I know the quality provides the standard."

He highlights Real Madrid as the toughest defensive challenge he's encountered - significant praise considering he made his debut against Diego Simeone's notorious Atletico defence in an impressive victory. Despite the quality of opposition, though, he harbours no second thoughts after confessing his motivation for the transfer was to pit himself against "the best of the best".

While he remains grounded regarding potential England call-ups, he recognises the journey former City youngster Morgan Rogers went on before getting his chance, and appreciates sometimes you need to go the long way round. On top of that, there's little doubt national manager Thomas Tuchel is keeping tabs on La Liga developments: Rashford's impressive form at Barcelona has earned him a spot in the squad for the upcoming international break, alongside Serie A midfielder Ruben Loftus-Cheek and Bundesliga regulars Harry Kane and Jarell Quansah.

Dolan, whose only experience with England has been at the age-group level - most recently with the Under-20s in 2022 - is determined to continue his current trajectory and see where it leads.

"It's good to see and, for me, it's also that bit of competition," he comments. "England does have some top talent and the players [being] willing to make that sacrifice for their football to come out to Spain and test themselves in a top league is good.

"You're playing in the top leagues in the world and you're playing against some of the top defenders. So if I can keep having great games, you know, hopefully at some point I've got to start turning some heads.

"It's all on me. I control what I can control. Stuff like [international recognition] is obviously out of my control, but I just want to focus on my game and my main focus is Espanyol, of course. That international recognition is amazing, of course, but, I'm here to do a job and I want to keep maximising that as best as I can."

UK fans can watch LALIGA live throughout this season via Premier Sports, or on Disney+ for each Saturday 8pm kick off