Five fantastic emerging young talents to enthrall Euro 2016
Published:
Holly Thackeray | November 17, 2015
Five youngsters who could thrill in France
With the Euro 2016 play-offs coming to a close, Coral writers start to look ahead to the France finals themselves. The lauded summer tournament is a perfect stage on which to see fresh talent surprise and shine, so here are our five fab picks for emerging players that stand a chance of gatecrashing their respective squads and reviving tired teams with a splash of youthful exuberance.
Read on to find out who exactly is on our radar…
Dele Alli (England)
Having made a remarkable rise to the Three Lions roster and cemented a regular starting spot for Tottenham, intriguing Alli was playing for minnows MK Dons just last season. With this in mind, plus England’s extensive injury problems in midfield, there is a unique chance for the youngster to press for a squad place.
Michy Batshuayi (Belgium)
Already tipped by Coral writers to be one of the next Belgian stars to impress in the Premier League, bullish Batshuayi has made a brilliant start to his international career, with two goals in two caps.
Atletico Madrid maestro Yannick Ferreira-Carrasco may be the more obvious choice after also impressing, but has to stave off much stronger competition for attacking midfield places, as Eden Hazard, Kevin De Bruyne, Nacer Chadli, Dries Mertens and Kevin Mirallas are expected to contest.
As for Batshuayi, the 22-year-old could prove a potent substitute, as rivals Christian Benteke and Romelu Lukaku have proven far from prolific in Belgian red.
Kingsley Coman (France)
The nifty 19-year-old has been dazzling on loan to Bayern Munich, crafting six assists and two strikes in 11 club outings and, with doubts as to whether Karim Benzema will re-join the squad, Coman would be a much more intriguing impact sub and squad player than Hatem Ben Arfa.
Leroy Sane (Germany)
Joachim Low gave the skillful Royal Blues wideman the nod to make his bow last time out, commenting that the wily winger has a “special gift and finesse, speed paired with technique and strong running.”
Could the Euros come too early for this talent? Quite possibly, though World Cup winners Germany (also 7/2 to triumph in France) have lacked spark of late, so Low may do well to throw a cat among the pigeons. Should Marco Reus’ injury woes continue and space open up, Sane should be the wild card employed.
Bernardo Silva (Portugal)
Schemer Silva, much like his Manchester City namesake, has an uncanny eye for a pass, and can become even more creative yet.
Without skipper and talisman Ronaldo, or when the forward is off form, the Navigators tend to go off track. Will Monaco magician Silva change all that at just 21? He can certainly provide support, and has an ever-improving nose for goals and assists, though must be trusted more regularly ahead of lesser lights.
Should you be keeping tabs on Portugal, Valencia’s Andre Gomes is another to watch out for, and the playmaker only just misses out on this list as he continues to recover from a recent spell on the sidelines.
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