Pascal Gross is an outlier in German football, having only played two seasons as a regular in the Bundesliga for underdogs Ingolstadt, posting 56 appearances, six goals and 12 assists. When the team was relegated, he moved to Brighton in England. In the following seasons, he became a regular in the team.
Gross was also a late bloomer, having played for Hoffenheim but never played in the first team. It was not until the age of 24 that he was awarded the Bundesliga workhorse at Ingolstadt. Compared to players who rose to prominence before the age of 20, Gross debuted late.
Since 17/18, he has played 22 goals and 31 assists in 183 games. Such statistics can be called the engine of midfield for a small team. Moreover, Gross seems to play well every time he faces Manchester United, like a chicken blood.
He made 10 league appearances against Manchester United, producing six goals and one assist. In these 10 games, he came off the bench twice. It is conceivable that if he had been playing more, his stats would have been even better.
In those 10 games, the team's record against Manchester United is 4-6, and last season, Brighton also contributed a 4-0 victory to leave the Red Devils with no place to be complacent. He has also scored against Chelsea, Liverpool and Tottenham. The dude's eight league goals have all been made against the top six teams, and he is a giant killer.
However, Gross has never been able to win the German national team, and now he is 31 years old. It is unknown when his international debut will arrive.
Gross had previously been selected for the German youth team, but he only played in friendly matches for the national youth team, and did not earn a chance to play in the European Youth Championship or the World Youth Championship. It seems that among the players of his generation, the final success rate is not high. It may be worth mentioning that it is Felix Cross. But this dude is famous because of his brother Tony Cross.
Gross, who is now valued at €8 million, is not particularly impressive in the Brighton squad. He belongs to the more civilian midfield, there is no particularly dazzling attacking statistics, but he is an important tactical pawn in the club, and he has irreplaceable roles in both attack and defense.
Moreover, the players have been in excellent form this game, with 5 goals and 2 assists in 13 league appearances. Previously, his season-best goal count was seven, and it was clear that his goal count this season was on the top double. And, this season, he'll make his 200th appearance at Brighton and it's not known if he'll be able to score or assist in that game.
On the pitch, Gross is a jack of all, he can play at the back, he can play as a forward or as a full-back. Moreover, players can play on the left and right sides. Gross also has two advantages. The first is that the player is physically fit, with the exception of 15 games missed by injury in 18/19, and he has hardly suffered from major injuries in recent seasons. The second is that the player is 1.81 meters tall and does not suffer on the header.
Moreover, the player has also started as captain many times and has the temperament of a leader. I don't know if a player of this level will be able to enter the German national team in the future. What he lacked was an integration of German tactical style. He has been away from the Bundesliga for too long.