A huge tournament that is watched by millions can be a great place for a player to make a name for himself, especially for up and coming young players. Take, for example, James Rodriguez. At the FIFA World Cup in 2014, he put on a clinic with his scoring and that tournament almost single handily got him a $80 Million contract. With that in mind, let’s look at some young guns who could break out with a great performance at EURO 2016.
1. Leroy Sane
(source: goal.com)
With Germany already being perhaps the best international team on earth, Sane is showing their future is looking bright as well. The 20 year old right winger (who’s plays his club ball for Schalke) is looking like the next big thing. He is extremely quick and very tricky on the pitch and could cause problems even for talented defenders. He will likely come off the bench on a ridiculously talented German team, but when he is in, look for him to make an impact.
2. Dele Alli
(source: dailymail.co.uk)
While Alli is fairly known around England as he has been a fixture on their youth teams for years, this will be a chance for him to shine on a much larger stage. He was last season’s Young Player of the Year for his great play on Tottenham, and he is only improving. His vision is fantastic, he makes others around him better and he has great footwork and can lose defenders easily. With Alli and Harry Kane, the future is looking bright for the English side.
3. Michy Batshuayi
(source: telegraph.co.uk)
Batshuayi is older than most in this article, but is right on the brink of stardom. The 22 year old Belgian striker currently plays on Marsielle in Ligue 1, but has said he will be moving to a new and bigger team following Euro 2016. He perhaps has more pressure on him than anyone as how he plays in the tournament could directly influence where he goes and what he is paid. He uses his great speed to simply go out there and beat defenders and has proven he can score in a fairly competitive and high level league.
4. Renato Sanches
(source: skysports.com)
Renato Sanches is a Portugese midfielder who will become the youngest Portugese player to feature in an international tournament as he will be only 18 years old when the tournament begins. The guy plays with a maturity and confidence normally reserved for players much older than him. He is a very dynamic and technical player with a rocket for a shot and has already signed a deal to join Bayern Munich this summer. In this man, Portugal could have their next big star.
5. Breel Embolo
(source: eifsoccer.com)
Embolo is a 19 year old striker who was born in Cameroon, but plays for the Switzerland National Team as he became a citizen there in 2014 and has lived there and played there for many years. He has lead his Swiss Team (Basel) to three straight Swiss league titles and is a complete striker. He is strong, fast, technical and can finish with the ball on his foot. Look for him to put in a good showing and get the attention from some of the bigger clubs in Europe.
