EURO WATCH: '5' Kids To Watch Out For

{alphabetically :P}

Dzagoev, Alan:

                Alan Dzagoev has been touted as “Future of Russian Football” for quite some time now. The 21-years old CSKA Moscow man made his debut in 2008 at a tender age of 18 and his talent was recognized instantaneously. For a young man of 21, Dzagoev has shown talent and temperament way beyond his years. He is one of the most established players in the Russian League and his record of 37 goals from 153 appearances for CSKA as a midfielder is laudatory. Currently he is on the watch-list of many big clubs including Manchester United and Chelsea and an eye-popping performance in the Euro may drive his price up. As a player, Dzagoev isn’t much different to Andrei Arshavin but he does likes to move forward onto striking positions much more frequently than his senior partner. If Russia are looking to match their performance of 4 yrs ago at Portugal then an in-form Dzagoev is a necessity.

Eriksen, Christian:

                Christian Eriksen aka “The Danish Wonderkid” is currently on the shopping of almost all the major European powerhouses including Arsenal, Barcelona, Manchester City, Manchester United and Real Madrid. It’s hard to believe but this 20-year old kid from the small town of Middelfart, Denmark is one of the most technically sound player in Europe at this point of time. He is already being compared to Danish legend Michael Laudrup who also played for Ajax. In May 2011, he was named the “Dutch Football Talent of the Year” which earned him a lot of praise from the legendary Johan Cruyff. And this season his performances have been even more staggering. In 44 matches he played for Ajax this season, he scored 8 goals and had an incredible assist tally of 21 goals. That’s just an amazing stat considering his age. Infact Eriksen’s real talent lies in his versatility. He is almost as comfortable playing in the wings as he is behind the striker. And this year’s Euro may just be the stage he was looking for to show the whole world what he is capable of. Denmark are in this edition’s ‘Group of Death’ with Germany, Holland and Portugal but if they want to repeat what they did 20 years ago, they know where to look for help.

Hummels, Mats:

                Another wonder-kid and another one on the shopping list of many elite European clubs. But Mats Hummels may have just provided Borussia Dortmund a big opportunity to establish themselves as one of Europe’s elite by signing a new long-term deal. At 23, Mats Hummels is yet to reach his peak as a defender but this 6’3” product of Bayern Munich’s youth system is already being tipped as Germany’s best defender and perhaps the best in Europe. His huge frame combined with his skill and strength means that he can play in any system and adapt to any style of play. Hummels along with defensive partner Neven Subotic have been the backbone of Borussia Dortmund’s success over the past few years. The only thing that Hummels lacks and which can prove to be a deterrent for him in Euro is his lack of international experience and playing under real pressure for ones country. But the talent this lad possesses, there is no reason why he can’t overcome that hurdle. With Germany covering almost all the bases, an in-form Hummels may just be the one with whose help they can seal the deal this time around.

  

M’vila, Yann:

                At just 21, Yann M’vila is already a regular in Rennes squad. This player from Congo origin has represented France in all age-group football and has already represented the senior team on 19 occasions since making his debut in 2010. M’vila plays in the holding midfield position and one of his strengths is his reading of the game. M’vila literally dictates the play and his positional sense combined with his passing ability makes him an asset for the side. M’vila has been heavily linked to a move to Arsenal but a good performance in the Euros may attract a lot more top clubs. M’vila will be shouldered with a lot of responsibility in this year’s Euro considering the formation Blanc employs. But this guy sure knows how to take on responsibility. France have a good side this time around but if they want to win the tournament M’vila will have to play a major role in it.

Welbeck, Danny:

                Danny Welbeck hasn’t attracted much attention till now but suddenly he finds himself in the position of leading England’s attack at this year’s Euro. With Rooney suspended for the first two games, Defoe returning to England due to the demise of his father and Carroll’s indifferent form, the onus is now on the young shoulders of Danny Welbeck to lead the Three Lion’s attack. And if his goal in the recently concluded friendly against Belgium is anything to go by, he is up for the challenge. Welbeck’s strength has always been his strong positional sense and the off the ball runs that he makes but the real challenge in front of him is the fact that he has to lead the attack. Welbeck has always proved to be a good second striker but to actually lead an attack on his own is something that is novel for him. A lot of good players have come out through the Manchester United youth system but Welbeck is the first quality striker to come through the ranks after Mark Hughes. And as such expectations are pretty high for him. But the one thing you can be sure about Welbeck is that it doesn’t matter if he wears the red of United or White of England this kid gives his 100% on the field. And if England wants to reach the business end of the tournament Welbeck has to strike multiple blows.