Pascal Groß shatters Premier League elite despite Nagelsmann reminder

While Pascal Groß of Brighton & Hove Albion became the first German to win the Premier League Player of the Month, his brief appearance under former national team coach Julian Nagelsmann at the World Cup recalls the little‑noticed elite perspective of the national team. The award was officially announced by the league on Friday after he received the most votes in an online poll on the sponsor EA SPORTS' website.

Award and Age Record

The 35‑year‑old Pascal Groß secured the coveted trophy on Friday after he received the most votes in a worldwide poll on the sponsor EA SPORTS' website and from an expert panel. This made him the sixth‑oldest professional to receive the award in Premier League history.

Only a few legends have accomplished the feat at an older age: Stuart Pearce and Teddy Sheringham did it at thirty‑eight, Cristiano Ronaldo at thirty‑seven, Gianfranco Zola at thirty‑six, and Paul Scholes, also thirty‑five, but half a year older than Groß.

Groß's rise began after his return to Brighton at the start of the year, after he was barely more than a peripheral player at Borussia Dortmund. In September he contributed five of his six goal involvements, scoring two himself and setting up three others, which put him at the top of the league for assists.

Successful Appearances against Coventry and Arsenal

His breakthrough began with the 5‑0 win over Coventry City, where he scored one goal and set up two more. In the subsequent 3‑0 victory over reigning champions Arsenal he netted the opening goal and laid the ball for Chema Andrés to score.

In the voting, Groß prevailed over a strong field, including his teammate Charalampos Kostoulas, Mohamed Belloumi of Hull City, Jayden Bogle of Leeds United, the Liverpool duo Alexander Isak and Jeremy Jacquet, Kevin Schade of Brentford, as well as Antoine Semenyo of Manchester City.

With the title he becomes the first player in Brighton & Hove Albion's shirt to ever receive the award, and joins an exclusive circle of German legionnaires: Ilkay Gündogan, Leroy Sane and Jürgen Klinsmann have previously received the trophy.

At the World Cup, Groß was under former national coach Julian Nagelsmann for only seventeen minutes in the final group match against Ecuador. Shortly after the round‑of‑16 exit against Paraguay, he announced his retirement from the German national team.