One exciting fact about international football tournaments is that it gives a stage to discover young talents. Football lovers & scouts will be reeling to see unfamiliar faces that become the center of attention just as James Rodriguez did at the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.
For Euro 2020, UEFA permitted squads to pick 26 players against 23 player submissions in previous tournaments. This can serve as an incentive for coaches to invite even more youth players to reduce inexperienced players in the fold.
In this article, we look at some outstanding young players who have made their way into their respective national team squads for Euro 2020 after impressing at their clubs in the just concluded league football season.
Let’s start with Mason Mount
Image Credit: The Pride of London
This 22 Year Old Starlet was awarded Chelsea’s best player for 2020/2021 after rounding up his exceptional season with an emphatic pass for Kai Havertz to score the goal that won the Champions League for Chelsea.
His versatility made it no doubt that he would be included in the final England Squad, where he has scored 4 goals in 16 appearances, for the Euro 2020 tournament.
Mason Mount Stats for Chelsea in the 2020/2021 Season
Match Played: 56
Goal Contribution: 9 Goals, 9 Assists
What do you know about Ryan Gravenbach?
Image Credit: Goal.com
Ryan Gravenberch plays for Ajax Football Club, a team that is known for producing starlets like Frenkie de Jong, Matthijs de Ligt, Donny van de Beek in recent times.
He is a dynamic and versatile player. Gravenberch can play as a box-to-box midfielder, but also left and right roles in the midfield. He has been compared with Manchester United Midfielder, Paul Pogba.
In the 2020/2021 season, Gravenberch was a regular in Erik ten Hag’s side during the 2020-21 campaign providing his team with 8 goal contributions as Ajax defended the Eredivisie title, they won the previous year.
Gravenberch isn’t a first-choice player with Frenkie De Jong, Gini Wijnaldum above him in the pecking order as Donny Van De Beek misses the tournament after sustaining an injury
Hence, Gravenberch deserves a mention on our list of young players to watch out for at Euro 2020.
Ryan Gravenberch Stats for Ajax Amsterdam in the 2020/2021 Season
Match Played: 32
Goal Contribution: 3 Goals, 5 Assists
Watch out for Gianluigi Donnarumma (Italy)
Image Credit: Goal.com
Donnarumma has been all over the news in recent time with his impending move to Paris-Saint Germain with a deal worth £10.3m per season, after refusing to renew his contract at AC Milan where he racked up over 250+ appearances.
Donnarumma has been named a successor to goalkeeping legend, Gianluigi Buffon and he has lived up to the hype with 14 clean sheets in 25 appearances.
Italy also placed second defensively in the WC Qualifiers after conceding just four goals.
The stats show that Italy is safe in the hands of Donnarumma, and this makes him one player that deserves a place in our list of players to look out for.
Gianluigi Donnarumma Stats for AC Milan in the 2020/2021 Season
Match Played: 48
Goal Contribution: 15 Clean Sheets.
Another top talent to watch is Italian Playmaker, Federico Chiesa
Image Credit: Goal.com
Federico Chiesa is an Italian professional footballer who plays for Serie A club Juventus, on loan from Fiorentina. What makes Chiesa stand out from the rest is the way he reads the game exploiting the weak links in his opponent’s defense.
His primary position on the field is as a winger, but from time to time, he can also be deployed as a forward. Federico Chiesa has 24 appearances for Italy so far, with six-goal contributions scoring one goal and assisting five.
He is very important to Roberto Mancini’s squad as he will be part of a strong Italian frontline that includes players like Ciro Immobile, Andrea Bellotti, and Insigne.
Federico Chiesa Stats for Juventus in the 2020/2021 Season
Match Played: 46
Goal Contribution: 15 Goals, 11 Assists
Phil Foden
Image Credit: Supersport
After enjoying a spectacular season at Manchester City, Phil Foden goes into the Euro 2020 competition with a lot of weight on his shoulder.
He won the PFA Young Player of the Year this season after leading Manchester to the Premier League and Carabao Cup double
He won the player of the year at the Under-17 World Cup in India in 2017
Phil Foden Stats for Manchester City in the 2020/2021 Season
Match Played: 50
Goal Contribution: 16 Goals, 10 Assists
Joao Felix is another player to keep tabs on….
Image Credit: Supersport
Joao Felix had an underwhelming season in 2020/2021 due to injuries and being infected by the novel coronavirus.
He is however very outstanding when he is in top form. We expect him to be a rotation-based player for Portugal as it will be difficult for him to break through Portugal front three of Cristiano Ronaldo, Diogo Jota, and Bernardo Silva.
Joao Felix Stats for Athletico Madrid in the 2020/2021 Season
Match Played: 40
Goal Contribution: 10 Goals, 6 Assists
The last player on our list is Jeremy Doku,
Image Credit: Goal.com
Jeremy Doku is an amazing player to watch. You need to look out for him at the Euro 2020. He has an excellent balance on the ball and takes on the defender with ease.
Fun Fact:
- Jeremy Doku averages more than 3.6 successful dribbles per game.
- He turned down a Liverpool offer even with Jurgen Klopp and Steven Gerrard leading the negotiation.
Now imagine Doku and Hazard leading the Belgium team on the wings against the opposition full-backs. Well, you know the rest. The only thing missing so far from Doku’s game is scoring goals, once he figures out, the world would witness another footballing superstar.s
Jeremy Doku Stats for Stade Rennais in the 2020/2021 Season
Match Played: 44
Goal Contribution: 4 Goals, 8 Assists
