By Simon Wright – Follow me on Twitter @Siwri88
The eyes of the football world will be descending on France
over the next four weeks with EURO 2016 on the horizon. Excitement levels are
starting to build ahead of the opening ceremony and the first match of the
competition, which happens on Friday night as France take on Romania at the
Stade de France.
The fans add the colour but the skill most definitely comes
from the players. Whilst the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo, Paul Pogba, Zlatan
Ibrahimovic and Robert Lewandowski are likely to dominate the tournament in
terms of capturing the main headlines, there are plenty of emerging stars ready
to show their class this summer.
I’ve selected 10 new kids on the block who have the talent
to really make their mark in the next month.
Jason
Denayer – Age: 20 (Belgium)
Owned by English club Manchester City, Jason Denayer has
profited hugely from the loan system in the last couple of campaigns. He was PFA
Young Player of the Year in Scotland during his time with Celtic in 2014/2015.
He continued his development in Turkey last season with Galatasaray, impressing
many with his reading of the game and calmness in possession.
A very powerful defender who seems unflustered, Denayer has
a big chance to become the next Belgian leader as injury has sidelined skipper
Vincent Kompany and his regular defensive partner Nicolas Lombaerts. With Pep
Guardiola often giving youngsters a chance, Denayer could make the breakthrough
at City too with the new manager. An excellent Euro campaign will strengthen
his case for a successful career with the Citizens.
Mateo
Kovacic – Age: 22 (Croatia)
European football experts might think Mateo Kovacic is one
of those players with a point to prove, which is odd to think considering he is
only 22 and still with plenty of time to make his mark on the global game.
Kovacic moved to Real Madrid last summer and although he
became a UEFA Champions League winner, his appearances at club level have
become limited since Zinedine Zidane replaced Rafa Benitez in the dugout at the
Bernabeu in January. Nicknamed Il Professore and having won nearly
30 caps for Croatia, Kovacic can use the international stage this summer to
restablish himself in the thoughts of his club manager. Skilful, versatile and
quick, Kovacic could be one of the wildcards in the Croatian squad this summer.
Dele Alli –
Age: 20 (England)
This time last summer, Dele Alli had just helped Milton
Keynes Dons win promotion to the Championship. A year later, he is more than likely
to play a significant role in England’s midfield at the European Championship.
It has been some rise to prominence for Alli, who has been a revelation at
Tottenham Hotspur in his debut Premier League campaign.
Alli has an eye for the spectacular, with a powerful shot
and the knowledge to find the perfect pass to his teammates and attacking
colleagues. He does have a short temper and did get into a few unnecessary
scraps domestically, so he is likely to pick up yellow cards during the
competition. If Roy Hodgson can help Alli curb some of his aggression and
channel it into positive momentum, Dele Alli could be one of the players of the
tournament.
Anthony
Martial – Age: 20 (France)
 |
| Anthony Martial is set to sparkle for the hosts at EURO 2016 |
The most expensive teenager in football is a tag that
Anthony Martial has had to deal with all season at Manchester United but it
never fazed him. In a team that lacked attacking creativity, Martial (pictured) sparkled,
as he was the only Red Devils’ player to reach double figures for goals in the
Premier League.
Martial’s impact at club level has already transferred onto
the international scene. He goes into EURO 2016 still looking for his first
French goal but it is more than likely to come in this competition for the
tournament hosts. He is likely to form an attacking trio with Antoine Griezmann
and Olivier Giroud in the Les Bleus’ frontline. These three promise goals and
Martial has plenty of skill and speed in his game to give defences a real
headache this summer.
Piotr
Zielinski – Age: 22 (Poland)
Piotr Zielinski is not a household name yet but he might
well be once this competition is over. He had a fine campaign in Serie A with Empoli,
scoring five times in 35 appearances and has surely done enough to start Poland’s
group opener against Northern Ireland on Sunday.
Domestically, he achieved a pass completion rate of 81.2%
and whilst often deployed as a central midfielder, he has played just off the
lone striker for his club too. Considering that Lewandowski might start upfront
on his own for the Poles, Zielinski might end up forming a very interesting
partnership with the hotshot attacker from FC Bayern München.
Liverpool FC have already shown interest in signing the
22-year-old. His price tag could rise quite considerably off the back of an
impressive EURO 2016 for his country.
Raphael
Guerreiro – Age: 22 (Portugal)
Portugal have got a fairly ageing defence, with the likes of
Pepe, Bruno Alves, Jose Fonte and Ricardo Carvalho among their ranks. Whilst
they will have plenty of tournament experience, they certainly won’t be the
quickest across the ground.
So it is nice to pick out a youngster from the Portuguese
backline in Raphael Guerreiro. He featured in the Team of the Tournament at
last year’s Under-21 competition and has attracted interest from Borussia
Dortmund in this transfer window already.
Guerreiro has only won six caps for Portugal but already
scored twice. He is a real threat from left-back and considering he has kept
former rising talent Fabio Coentrao out of the squad, he must be doing
something right. Guerreiro has won many plaudits in his young career and he
looks set to win many more this summer.
Alvaro
Morata – Age: 23 (Spain)
EURO 2016 could well end up being the making of Alvaro Morata.
The Juventus frontman has already scored in a UEFA Champions League final for
his current club and won the trophy whilst at Real Madrid. He has a natural
instinct for finding the back of the net and coming up with crucial goals when
required.
Morata recently scored the goal that won the Coppa Italia
for Juventus and signed a contract extension with the Serie A champions until
2020. With Diego Costa injured, David Villa long retired and Fernando Torres
not selected, Morata has the opportunity to be the leading Spanish forward for
many years to come.
If the creative superstars in the defending champions shine,
Morata could be an outsider tip for the Golden Boot. He’s got all the talent.
It is just a question now of stringing it all together on a consistent basis.
Victor
Lindelof – Age: 21 (Sweden)
Four months ago, Victor Lindelof’s chances of going to EURO
2016 were slim at best. His form though at club level for Benfica has not only
won him a place in Sweden’s final 23-man party, he could well start at the
heart of their backline in the tournament.
Lindelof only made his real breakthrough this season,
appearing 15 times for the Portuguese champions and he won his first
international cap for the Swedes in March, He was part of the Scandinavian
squad that surprised many to win the Under-21 title last year and it is good to
see Sweden finally giving youth a chance.
Good in the air and comfortable with the ball, Lindelof is a
rising asset and this tournament will be crucial experience for what looks like
a burgeoning career in professional football.
Breel
Embolo – Age: 19 (Switzerland)
It is incredible to think that Breel Embolo is still only 19.
He has already won three domestic titles in his club career and is set for a
fantastic future in the game. He has the natural instincts last seen in Swiss
football by compatriots Alexandre Frei and Stephane Chapuisat.
Embolo is on the verge of completing a huge transfer from FC
Basel 1893 to Bundesliga newcomers RB Leipzig. This move should go through
before the championships start and it will be interesting to see if this will
spur him on, or distract him in the opening games of Switzerland’s campaign.
Very fast across the ground, Embolo is a cool finisher and
is a technical nuisance for opponents. When his competition in attack for
Switzerland is out-of-form Haris Seferovic and inconsistent Admir Mehmedi, it
is a no-brainer for Embolo to be playing in their starting XI. He is not just
one to watch in this tournament, he is one to watch in future seasons to come
because he has it all in his game.
Ben Davies
– Age: 23 (Wales)
The amazing progress of Danny Rose at Tottenham Hotspur has
meant it has been a frustrating couple of seasons domestically for Ben Davies.
It is a different story at international level though.
Davies has already won 20 caps for Wales and is one of the
first names on Chris Coleman’s teamsheet. He forms a superb understanding down
the left-side with his former club teammate Neil Taylor and they both have the ability
to swap positions during a game.
He is a strong tackler and has the eye for picking out a
matchwinning pass. Gareth Bale will certainly be looking for cracking service
from the likes of Davies as Wales embark on their maiden European Championship
adventure. His form will help determine if the ‘Red Dragon’ can escape
Group B.
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