"It's my heritage, my DNA, it's so special for me to play for Hungary." Callum Styles on his journey, on Szoboszlai, the Euros, and growing up watching Rooney and Ronaldo.

Squad awaits injury update on important midfielder.

Callum Styles’ hunger to represent Hungary at the Euros runs deep. Born in Oldham, the 24-year-old midfielder, who spent last season at Sunderland on loan from Barnsley, qualifies for Hungary through his late maternal grandmother and has fallen in love with the team. “Playing with this team is just incredible,” he says. “They’re just so welcoming.”

Callum Styles. Photo Ben McShane/Sportsfile via Getty Images.

                  Accompanied by his partner Lily, Styles reflects over coffee in London on his journey from Oldham to Budapest. “I’m very aware of Hungary’s great history,” he says. “I know about Ferenc Puskas; the Arena (in Budapest) is named after him. Hungary were very successful back in that time (the 50s). We've got another style like that in (Liverpool’s Dominik) Szoboszlai. He has that superstar feel. He’s got fire in him.

“I feel like his energy and his passion flows into all of us and when we play we're very hard to beat. It’s just so good playing with players of that calibre. I want to play at the highest level and he's playing at the highest level. To be playing with him and against players of his calibre is top.”

Szoboszlai has been giving Styles advice. “Yes! ‘Don't play poker.’ Because I’m not the best!” The comment reflects the camaraderie amongst the Hungarians. “There’s a good atmosphere in the camp. We train hard but, in the spare time, we’re always playing different games, darts, pool, cards, poker. It’s a top environment to be in.” Lily observes with a laugh, “I honestly don’t think he ever wants to come home when he goes to camp! He absolutely loves it!”

Styles came off injured during Hungary’s final warm-up match, the 3-0 win over Israel on Saturday, and family and friends, team-mates and supporters, await news of his fitness. He’s an important player for Hungary. Ukraine were also interested in him as he also qualifies for them. “As soon as I heard about Hungary I gravitated towards that. It's my heritage, it's my DNA, it's so special for me to play for Hungary. When I’m out there playing for Hungary, I think of my grandmother. I'm very family-oriented. It's special for my mum's side of the family as well to see me doing well and representing our bloodline. I have an auntie that lives out there.

“There are a few of us (players) who weren’t born in Hungary but staff and players are so welcoming. I’ve picked up a decent amount of Hungarian. I’m doing Duolingo. But the best way to pick the language up is in the camp. The first words I was learning were the pool table colours! A few of my team-mates are helping me.

“Playing with this team is just incredible. There’s a lot of unity. That's why we're doing so well: we qualified unbeaten for the Euros, we've beaten the likes of England and Germany (in the Nations League, both away).” They’ve suffered only one loss in 16. “We’ve got a top coach,” Styles adds of Marco Rossi. “We’re set up always in the right way from the coach. We've got nothing to fear, we've got such a good team and a good togetherness. We're not going to the Euros to just take part.”

Hungary play Switzerland in Cologne on June 15 followed by games in Stuttgart against Germany (June 19) and Scotland (June 23). He’s particularly looking forward to the first Stuttgart challenge. “It's against the hosts. So it would just be lovely to beat them. We’ve got nothing to fear. They had all the big names against us (in Leipzig) and we beat them 1-0.” Jamal Musiala particularly impressed him. “The way he manipulates the ball, the way he moves with the ball is very good. He has a free role. He is the player to nullify. We can go there confident but respectful. But we should fear no team. We'd be disappointed if we don't get out of the group.”

Hungary will be well-supported. “I can't speak highly enough of the fans. Even friendly games, they’ll sell out the stadium (Puskas Arena), one stand just constantly singing and being so uplifting. It's just incredible to play in front of. I thrive off their energy.”

                  Styles sensed their energy first hand when Hungary secured qualification with the last kick of the game against Bulgaria in Sofia, before players, family, friends and fans headed back to Budapest to party. “I don’t think I got much sleep! We all went out to these bars! The celebrations were crazy. It was a Sunday so many places weren’t open but they opened for the celebrations. It was just a mix of players and fans. Everyone’s so down to earth, so integrated, everyone is like everyone’s mate. Everyone’s mingling, everyone was dancing. That’s why I love it, because there’s no hierarchy, everyone's just together.”

                  It suits his character. “Callum’s very down to earth,” Lily says. “I ask Callum ‘do you get a bit starstruck when you’re in the tunnel with all these other massive players’. Callum always says he doesn’t process it in the moment. He’s just fixated on the game. Afterwards, the penny drops, ‘Wow! That was amazing to be involved in’.”

Styles takes up the theme. “I'm not really starstruck. I play football. He (the star opponent) plays football.” At the last Euros, Styles was with Lily and their friends in a bar near Deansgate Locks, Manchester, watching England in the final against Italy. “The weather was really good, everyone's in the big garden, absolutely packed to the brim early,” Styles recalls with a smile. “When Luke Shaw scored, beer was everywhere!”

                  Within a year, Styles was called up by Hungary and coming on against England at Molineux, taking on Jude Bellingham, Declan Rice, Harry Kane, Bukayo Saka and the rest. “I was mainly pressing John Stones when he was stepping out! England are a top-quality team, they've got so much depth as well.”

                  Hungary won 4-0 but Styles still didn’t seek any souvenir. “I’m not really a big shirt-swapper. I only like doing it with former team-mates, people I’ve got really good relationships with. When we played Leeds I swapped with (Charlie) Cresswell because I played with him at Millwall, then against West Brom I swapped with Alex Mowatt, because I played with him at Barnsley. I prefer that than just getting a shirt I have no connection with. It’s just a shirt. I’d prefer someone’s fan to have the shirt.” Lily adds, “Callum’s a very giving person.”

                  Styles reflects on his character, on how he was raised in Middleton, going to Paul Scholes’ old school. “Work hard and respect people is how I’ve been brought up. My dad's an electrician, he’s out working 24/7, he’s still working. He gets to a lot of my games. He owns his own company so he’s more flexible. He doesn't like missing many games.”

                  His father used to take Styles into the local park to practise. “I was always football! That's all I knew basically as a kid!” He followed Manchester United. “Always! When I was younger I watched (Wayne) Rooney. He was world class. It was the street footballer in him I liked. I feel like sometimes academies can take the street out of you, and mould you into something that is ‘same old, same old’. Whereas the best players keep their personalities and don't let people mould them from a young age. That's what Rooney did.”

Cristiano Ronaldo was another favourite. “Nothing fazed him, he’d just go out and assert his game, I loved that from a young age. I remember the first game I went to, my auntie took me to United versus Portsmouth (in 2008), David James in net for Portsmouth. I was six rows above the crossbar, directly behind Ronaldo’s free-kick. I don't think he scored many better free-kicks.”

                  While watching United, Styles was developing in Burnley’s academy from eight to 16, learning a range of roles. “I was a striker, a 10, then anywhere across the front three because we played 4-3-3. Then I went to Bury as a midfielder.” The club were enduring financial problems. “Bury were struggling but it’s a top club and the start of my career so it holds a special place in my heart.”

                  The teenager moved on to Barnsley, returning to Bury on loan, before embedding at Barnsley. “We got to the Championship playoffs, top season. Next season, we got relegated so I had the lows  there.” He went out on loan again. “I absolutely loved Millwall as a club, It's so unique. there's just something about the club. Yes, they might not play the best football, they might be a bit old school, but the whole family of the club was just top. The fans are passionate.”

                  Most recently, Styles has been on loan at Sunderland. “The fans are again so passionate and I love the club, it's a top club. Sunderland have a massive following. If everything’s not going well, you've got loads of voices pelting at you. But when they know you’re trying your best they get behind you. They’re passionate. That's what we play for as players, big fanbases like that to give back to them and hopefully be successful together.”

That selflessness defines Styles playing style. He’s willingly played a range of positions, from those early roles as a striker to left-back, left wing-back, central midfield, No 10. “I've played in that many positions I’ve got used to adapting! My preferred position is centrally, an 8, having the licence to roam”

He analysed how Ilkay Gundogan played at Manchester City. “He's got that free role in terms of making runs forward, roaming outside the lines, getting on the ball. He's really good at that type of role that I want to play.” He looks at Declan Rice at Arsenal. “He's more breaking up the play, and starting it, I do that sometimes for Hungary.” Injury permitting, Styles hopes to do that at the Euros.