888sport have provided a list of some of the young footballers who could set the Euros alight;
Renato Sanchez
The tenacious Bayern man will be looking to sure up the Portuguese midfield and allow some of the forward thinking players to do what they do best. That’s not to say he can’t be the man to unlock defences.
The Lisbon-born midfielder will be looking to add to his handful of caps and continue his already speedy development as Portugal look to push for success.
Breel Embolo
Embolo has been attracting some interest from some of the European football titans and it’s clear to see why. The Swiss national has just about everything you could want from a forward; pace in abundance, a chest that can hold off the biggest of players, a touch that can sell the most patient defender and much more hidden away in his arsenal.
Born in Cameroon, Breel Embolo moved to Switzerland aged 6 and started playing football for local sides based in Basel. In 2010 he was picked up by the Swiss champions and progressed through their academy before making his debut aged just 17.
Some question marks have been raised about Embolo’s ability to turn up for the big fixtures and he will be looking to silence his critics this tournament as Switzerland look to push on after their 1-0 win over Albania.
Leroy Sane
Athleticism was always in the blood for Leroy Sane. His mother, a former rhythmic gymnast champion. His father is ex-Senegalese international Souleyman Sane. It’s clear to see where Leroy gets his natural burst of pace and fitness.
A winger who can perform admirably on both sides will be looking to inject something fresh into this dominant German side. A tricky winger who likes to try and beat his fullback and get the ball into the box anyway he can, his quick feet and box of skills mean that he can really give the Germans something different and won’t let the fact that he’s Under 21 stop him from stamping his mark on this team.
Aleksandr Golovin
The young Russian will be looking to add some youth to what is an ageing outfit. Known in Russia for his eye for a pass Golovin has come on leaps and bounds over the past few seasons and is mostly used off the bench for champions CSKA Moscow.
After really starting to stake a claim at CSKA at the back end of last season he will be hoping he can carry on that form and start making a dent in the Russia team as he looks to progress his development.
Hakan Calhanoglu
Calhanoglu has been making a lot of noise in Germany after moving his way through the lower leagues and securing himself a place in the Bayer Leverkusen XI. The German-born Turkish international is famed for his long shots and could be one of the players to light up the Euros.
His majestic technique means that Turkey have someone who can whip dangerous balls into the box that any defence would struggle to deal with. His ability to play all across midfield means that Turkey can slot him whether they feel weakest and feel secure that they have the right man for the job.
Could any of this quintet make it in the Premier League?