Sheffield United and Middlesbrough will have enjoyed Thursday showing: View | OneFootball

Both Harry Souttar and Riley McGree impressed for Australia in their recent win over China

Plenty of players up and down the Championship have jetted off to locations around the world for international duty in the past week or so, but perhaps none quite as far as the division's Australian contingent.

It's less than ideal for Championship sides to see key players having to travel to the other side of the world during international breaks, but Harry Souttar, Riley McGree and Samuel Silvera all headed down under to play for the Socceroos in their 2026 World Cup Qualifying campaign.

The long distance British-based Australian internationals have to travel during international breaks is a necessary evil for their clubs, but Sheffield United and Middlesbrough would have liked what they'd seen from Souttar and McGree on Thursday.

World Cup qualifying for Australia is a long and arduous process with inevitable trips to far-flung locations, and after a recent blip which saw them lose to Bahrain and draw to Indonesia, the Socceroos got back to winning ways thanks to impressive showings from Souttar and McGree.

Sheffield United and Middlesbrough would have enjoyed Australia's win over China

While supporters of Sheffield United and Middlesbrough may not have even been aware it was going on, Australia got back to winning ways after defeating China 3-1 in Adelaide on Thursday, and their players earned rave reviews in the aftermath.

Souttar started and played the full 90, putting in a solid shirt from the back, and after a shaky start which saw Xie Wenneng give the visitors the lead, it was one-way traffic for the Socceroos, with the Blades loanee putting in a performance that the Bramall Lane faithful would have come to expect after his summer move.

The Blades have conceded just three goals in Souttar's eight Championship appearances for the club, and they've kept six consecutive clean sheets since the Australian international came into the starting XI.

Meanwhile, Boro man McGree actually started the game on the bench, but he came on for Nestory Irankunda at half-time with the scores tied at 1-1, and he put in a hugely impressive shift to help his side pick up all three points.

McGree changed the game when he came on, and he would have impressed new Australia boss Tony Popovic in what was his first game in charge.

Boro fans would have been surprised to see McGree on the bench, but his performance against China will surely be enough to put him in contention for their trip to Japan on Tuesday.

Supporters of both the Blades and Boro will be hoping they come through the fixture against Japan unscathed first and foremost, but another big performance from the pair on Tuesday will mean they hit the ground running when they return to the Championship.

International duty could benefit Sheffield United and Middlesbrough in the long term

While it may be a frustration for Chris Wilder and Michael Carrick to see their players having to travel to the other side of the world during the season, it offers them the chance to play different opposition who may play different styles of football to teams in the Championship.

This means that they could become more rounded players, and more able to adapt to different opponents and different styles of play, which means they'll be better players in the future, benefiting their clubs.

Playing on big stages like the World Cup, which both Souttar and McGree competed in back in 2022, will only improve them too, and Australia performed admirably in the last World Cup, making it to the knockout stages before losing to eventual champions Argentina.

Also, from a financial point of view, McGree performing well on the international stage could see his stock rise, meaning if Boro were to cash in, they could command a big fee.

Should Souttar and McGree back up their recent performance when they travel to Japan, it'll mean they're both full of confidence when they return to the Championship, and that can only benefit their clubs.