Sport

Martin Laurence’s One to Watch- Euro U21 2017

Martin Laurence gives his ‘One to Watch’ for each team at this summer’s Euro U21 championship.

 

Karol Linetty (Poland)

The star name in the hosts ranks, Linetty is by no means a glamorous player but his potential has been recognised for some time now, having racked up 15 senior international caps since making his debut as a teenager in 2014. Now 22, the midfielder has just enjoyed an impressive first season in Serie A with Sampdoria, quickly establishing himself as a first team regular. Capable of carrying the ball forwards from deep and making an impact in the final third, registering 4 assists last season, it’s Linetty’s ball winning ability that may be key to Poland escaping Group A. Only one player to have made 20 appearances or more in Italy’s top-flight averaged more tackles per 90 minutes (4) in the 2016/17 campaign.

 

Kristoffer Olsson (Sweden)

Former Arsenal academy graduate Olsson will captain the holders this summer having been an unused member of the winning squad in 2015. Since then the midfielder has become a key player for the U21s and the 21-year-old has returned to his homeland with AIK via FC Midtjylland. With the Allsvenskan in it’s relative infancy for the current campaign, Olsson leads the way when it comes to tackles and interceptions combined from 11 appearances, with 72. His ability to protect a back four without star man and new Manchester United signing Victor Lindelof could be key.

 

Adam Zrel’ak (Slovakia)

Qualifying for the first time since 2000, Slovakia aren’t to be underestimated having topped a group including the likes of Turkey and Netherlands. It was their impressive firepower that stood out, scoring seven of 21 goals across eight matches against the Oranje, with star striker Zrel’ak at the heart of their success. Five goals in qualification came from just four appearances, but there are concerns over the 23-year-old’s fitness after two lengthy spells on the sidelines during his first season in the Czech Republic with FK Jablonec.

 

Lewis Baker (England)

Having spent the past two seasons on loan at Vitesse, Baker is better known to fans of Dutch football than English but he is certain to play an important role for the Three Lions this summer. In the absence of fellow Chelsea graduate Ruben Loftus-Cheek the 22-year-old will need to provide a goal threat from midfield, which is certainly Baker’s greatest strength. Along with 10 league goals last season, the youngster was the top scorer in the Dutch Cup (5) as Vitesse lifted the trophy, scoring twice to book his side a place in the final. That sort of big game experience will be required if England are to compete.

 

Goncalo Guedes (Portugal)

Having joined PSG at the turn of the year following a bidding war with Manchester United, it’s fair to say Guedes didn’t really get the playing time he would have wanted. The 20-year-old will be keen to showcase his talents this summer then, and his versatility in attack should be a real asset to Rui Jorge’s side. Capable of playing on either flank or as a support striker, Guedes’ ability to retain possession in advanced areas is a real strength, boasting an impressive 86% pass accuracy last season.

 

Uros Djurdjevic (Serbia)

One of only a handful of players in the squad still plying his trade in his homeland, Djurdjevic could be an outside bet for the golden boot if Serbia can upset the odds to progress to the knockout phase. The 23-year-old scored 9 goals in qualifying though it’s his record for Partizan Belgrade last season that is even more impressive, scoring 24 times in 29 league appearances. His could be a name that is on the list of a number of scouts in Poland this summer.

 

Dani Ceballos (Spain)

For all of the enviable attacking quality in an incredibly talented Spain squad, the role of Dani Ceballos in midfield could be crucial should they progress to the latter stages. The 20-year-old enjoyed an excellent season with Betis in La Liga, with his all action displays garnering plenty of interest from across the continent. The fact that only Lionel Messi and Neymar completed more dribbles in Spain’s top-flight last season (81) while still averaging a superb 3.1 tackles per game points to a box-to-box skill set that could help La Roja to glory.

 

David Babunski (Macedonia)

Unquestionably the real surprise inclusion at this summer’s tournament, qualifying for the first time, Macedonia did so at the expense of the extremely well fancied France. They aren’t to be underestimated then, despite the fact that not a single member of their squad is playing in one of Europe’s top 6 leagues. Midfielder Babunski stands out as the star though, now plying his trade in the J-League having come through the ranks at Barcelona no less. The 23-year-old is both the most capped player and top scorer in the Macedonian ranks.

 

Mahmoud Dahoud (Germany)

Another tough choice from an exceptionally talented pool of players, Dahoud will hope to get the nod alongside captain Maximilian Arnold in midfield to prove just why he has been so sought after for some time. Opting for a move to Dortmund this summer amid strong interest from Liverpool, the Syrian born midfielder has the vision to unlock the meanest of defences and the ability to break the lines himself with neat footwork and poise. A total of 14 assists over the past two Bundesliga seasons have all come from open play, which is a figure only Thomas Muller (17) can beat in that time.

 

Patrik Schick (Czech Republic)

Perhaps the most obvious choice of a star man for any team this summer, Sampdoria striker Schick looks set to make a move to champions Juventus amid interest from across the continent. The 21-year-old scored more goals in qualifying than any other player (10), and while a return of 11 goals in his debut Serie A campaign may seem modest he scored at a rate of a goal every 134 minutes. Tall, fast, elegant in possession and intelligent, Schick is the real deal and another underdog for the golden boot.

 

Marcus Ingvartsen (Denmark)

Another 21-year-old marksman that could be in demand this summer, albeit for a significantly lower fee, Ingvartsen broke into the Denmark ranks in the qualifying campaign, scoring 8 times in 8 appearances. A tally of 14 goals in the regular season for Danish outfit Nordsjaelland was a strong return but not as impressive as the 9 in 10 appearances the youngster bagged in the subsequent championship round, making Ingvartsen the leading scorer in his homeland last season with 23 goals in total.

 

Mattia Caldara (Italy)

While Spain and Germany fans would stake their claim, Italy have arguably taken the most impressive squad to Poland, eight of whom have been capped for the senior side. One of those is Mattia Caldara, who starred from centre-back as Atalanta secured a shock European finish, ultimately earning the 23-year-old a move to Juventus that will come into effect in 2018. Not only did he average more interceptions per game than any other player in Serie A (3.4) but a return of 7 goals was the most of any defender in Europe’s top 5 leagues.