Euro 2016 set to be a particularly exciting tournament for a few important reasons.
First of all, there is no clear favourite; Germany aren’t quite the same team of immense quality, physicality and experience that lifted the 2014 World Cup, Spain remain supremely talented but lack dynamism at times, Belgium are overflowing with stellar names but are yet to find the right balance and France boast the home advantage, but will be without star striker Karim Benzema.
And then there’s England’s young Lions, the likes of Dele Alli, Harry Kane and Ross Barkley, who could set the world alight or go out with a whimper.
Likewise, this is the first ever European Championship involving 24 teams as oppose to 16 and this tournament does have a history of smaller nations defying the odds – particularly Greece back in 2004.
So with plenty of football to look forward to this summer, here’s Football FanCast’s lowdown on the 24 players – one for each country – you should be watching out for at Euro 2016.
FRANCE – PAUL POGBA
Seemingly destined to leave Juventus for the El Clasico giants or a Premier League big spender this summer, Paul Pogba will want to take centre-stage at the tournament on his home soil – if not to justify the metamorphic price-tag someone’s about to pay for him. Power, tenacity, technique and an eye for goal, he can win France games from central midfield.
ROMANIA – VLAD CHIRICHES
Vlad Chirches, once of Tottenham Hotspur fame, captained Romania’s latest squad and is one of their few players offering top level pedigree, currently on the books at Napoli. Romania conceded just twice in qualifying, keeping eight clean sheets in the process, and will take a similar defence-comes-first approach to the tournament in France. Accordingly, the 26-year-old centre-back will play an intrinsic role.
ALBANIA – LORIK CANA
A name any self-respecting football hipster will know already, Lorik Cana once spent a single season at Sunderland and has represented some very quirky clubs throughout his career, namely PSG, Marseille, Lazio, Galatasaray and current employers Nantes. The defender-come-midfielder has passed the peak of his powers at the age of 32 but offers Albania real pedigree, experience and leadership and will wear the armband at Euro 2016.
SWITZERLAND – GRANIT XHAKA
Xherdan Shaqiri may be Switzerland’s most notable attacking threat, but enforcer Granit Xhaka remains their one to watch. The midfielder’s form for Borussia Monchengladbach, who he captain’s at the tender age of 23, has lead to rumoured interest from Arsenal, Liverpool and Manchester City. But Xhaka does have a wild side; he’s been sent off three times already this season.
ENGLAND – DELE ALLI
Wayne Rooney may be captain and Harry Kane may be the star striker, but Dele Alli has the most buzz surrounding him ahead of the tournament in France. The 20-year-old has been a phenomenon since making the step up from League One last summer and has already made an impact at international level – scoring a belter against France before running the show in the 3-2 comeback against Germany. If England progress at the Euros, you get the feeling the Tottenham midfielder will play a huge part.
RUSSIA – ALEKSANDR KOKORIN
A speedy and nomadic forward whose impressive form for Dynamo Moscow in recent seasons, notching up 38 goals in his ultimate 98 outings, has lead to rumoured interest from Arsenal and Manchester United to name a few. Kokorin has struggled in front of goal since signing for Zenit in January but the 25-year-old’s netting prowess will be vital for a Russia side who managed just four goals in four games against Group G rivals Austria and Sweden in qualifying.
WALES – GARETH BALE
Who else but Gareth Bale? Wales just aren’t the same without the world’s most expensive player fronting their attack. He’s scored five goals in his last six appearances for the Dragons and has the ability to make a goal out of nothing. Furthermore, the rest of the team always work for him.
SLOVAKIA – MAREK HAMSIK
One of the most established attacking midfielders in Serie A, Marek Hamsik has the potential to be a real talisman for Slovakia at Euro 2016. The spiky-haired playmaker offers creativity, technical ability and netting prowess and was only outscored at international level by veteran striker Robert Vittek in Jan Kozak’s latest squad. He’s also Slovakia’s vice-captain, serving as deputy to Liverpool’s no-nonsense defender Martin Skrtel.
GERMANY – MARCO REUS
Germany’s squad is jam-packed with top-class talent, the majority of whom readers will already be well acquainted with. But Marco Reus enters this tournament with a unique motivation compared to his team-mates, having missed out on Die Mannschaft’s World Cup triumphs through injury. The versatile attacker has been in decent form for Dortmund this season, netting ten times in 20 Bundesliga appearances.
UKRAINE – ANDRIY YARMOLENKO
Compared to Andriy Shevchenko in terms of talismanic status, Andriy Yarmolenko provides the cutting edge to compliment Ukraine’s rugged defence. The powerful winger-forward has netted 23 times in 57 appearances for his country and is enjoying another solid campaign with Dynamo Kyiv, with 17 goals across all competitions.
POLAND – GRZEGORZ KRYCHOWIAK
Poland’s progress at Euro 2016 will depend on Robert Lewandowski’s goals, but the quality enforcer Grzegorz Krychowiak brings to their midfield could have similar importance. He made it into the La Liga Team of the Year for 2014/15 and offers real defensive nous, averaging the most interceptions per match (4.2) of any player involved in Europe’s five leading top flights this season.
NORTHERN IRELAND – KYLE LAFFERTY
Lanky forward Kyle Lafferty bagged seven of Northern Ireland’s 16 goals in qualifying, topping the group F scoring charts and that of Michael O’Neill’s last squad, and his importance will only increase in the absence of Chris Brunt. But the 28-year-old has endured a tough season; he made just one appearance for Norwich before going out on loan to Birmingham in March.
TURKEY – HAKAN CALHANOGLU
Arda Turan offers Barcelona pedigree but there’s plenty of excitement surrounding Bayer Leverkusen’s Hakan Calhanoglu. Some have dubbed him ‘the new Mesut Ozil’, but it’s the 21-year-old’s ability from dead ball situations that really catches the eye and makes him a potential match-winner for Turkey.
CZECH REPUBLIC – TOMAS NECID
Tomas Necid is an old-fashioned target man who has done the rounds in Europe’s more obscure leagues. He’s not exactly prolific, with a career return of 85 goals in 260 appearances at club level, but boasted the most goals of any player in the last Czech Republic squad, amassing nine in 34 for his country. Czech Republic’s progress in the tournament will hinge on Petr Cech’s performances between the sticks and Necid’s ability to punch holes at the other end.
SPAIN – ALVARO MORATA
Diego Costa’s struggle for goals at international level could see Vincente Del Bosque turn to Alvaro Morata as Spain’s first-choice centre-forward by the time Euro 2016 comes around. The 23-year-old is tall, mobile, technical and has a real knack for scoring important goals – his five strikes in Europe last season took Juventus to the Champions League final. If he brings that trait to the tournament in France, Morata will be instrumental to La Roja’s progression.
CROATIA – IVAN RAKITIC
Croatia lack natural pace and width but will look to overcome it with the pure class of their engine room, headed by El Clasico duo Luka Modric and Ivan Rakitic. The former is amongst the best midfielders of his generation and still going strong at the age of 30, but it’s the latter’s netting prowess from long range that could make the biggest difference at Euro 2016. Star striker Mario Mandzukic and wonderkid Alen Halilovic are the other standout names.
BELGIUM – KEVIN DE BRUYNE
Belgium’s squad is overflowing with stellar stars but it’s Kevin De Bruyne who looks set to take centre-stage at Euro 2016 following a strong debut season at Manchester City – notching up six goals and nine assists in 21 Premier League appearances. He’s been a key player for the Red Devils for some time and the coming tournament represents the 24-year-old’s chance to cement his reputation as one of the best attacking midfielders in the business.
ITALY – MARCO VERRATTI
Marco Verratti has established himself as a member of world football’s midfield elite since signing for PSG in 2012, combining adventurous playmaking with nippiness, tenacity and enthusiasm off the ball. In a somewhat workaday Italy side, particularly in attack, the 23-year-old stands out as a player who can make things happen for Azzurri. But he’s been sidelined since February through injury and may enter the tournament lacking match sharpness.
IRELAND – WES HOOLAHAN
Industriousness in all departments remains Ireland’s greatest asset, but the jinking feet and attacking vision of Wes Hoolahan offer them something a little different in the middle-to-final third. Dubbed ‘Irish Messi’ by Norwich City fans, the 33-year-old can be a real match-winner on his day and has been in decent knick this season, amassing four goals and eight assists in the Premier League. But lacking the athleticism and defensive contribution Martin O’Neill craves, his Euro 2016 involvement for Ireland will likely be in fits and spurts.
SWEDEN – ZLATAN IBRAHIMOVIC
A World Cup without him isn’t worth watching, so we can only assume a European Championship with Zlatan Ibrahimovich will be nothing short of amazing. Ambiguity over his next club lingers over the Bosman-bound 34-year-old but that shouldn’t stop him delivering for Sweden, providing the rest of the team delivers for him, with a strike-rate better than one-in-two at international level.
PORTUGAL – RENATO SANCHES
Cristiano Ronaldo’s importance is beyond the worth of discussion but Euro 2016 could be the tournament in which we see Portugal’s next generation breaking through. William Carvalho, Ruben Neves, Goncalo Guedes and Bernardo Silva are all exciting youngsters already capped by Fernando Santos, but none more so than Renato Sanches – a silky and energetic box-to-box, aged just 18, who some have compared to Ronaldinho.
ICELAND – Gylfi Sigurdsson
Despite Swansea flirting with the relegation zone, Gylfi Sigurdsson has been in good form this season, reaching double figures in the scoring charts for only the second time in his career. The midfielder is Iceland’s talisman – producing an international strike-rate of one-in-three – and his notorious lethality from dead ball situations give the major tournament debutants a chance of defying the odds.
AUSTRIA – DAVID ALABA
Bayern Munich’s resident No.3 operates as a dynamic midfielder for his country and performs the role very well, boasting eleven international goals, to underline what a well-rounded player David Alaba truly is. Marko Arnautovic of Stoke City and Leicester defender Christian Fuchs are also amongst Austria’s more noteworthy names.
HUNGARY – BALAZS DZSUDZSAK
A long-term target of Liverpool under Brendan Rodgers who eventually never arrived at Anfield, Balazs Dzsudzsak is the real quality in a Hungary side still dependent on ageing veterans like Gabor Kiraly and Zoltan Gera. The winger, who has enjoyed relatively productive spells with PSV, Dynamo Moscow and current employers Bursaspor, boasts 18 goals and 76 caps for his country.