England’s U20 side won the World Cup last weekend and this week sees the U21 team step onto the field, in their hope to become the best team in Europe at their age group.
Ahead of the tournament, which begins on Friday, we’ve picked out ten players to keep an eye on as the tournament unfolds.
Mahmoud Dahoud
Position: Midfielder
Club: Borussia Monchengladbach (Joining Borussia Dortmund this summer)
Country: Germany
Dahoud was a revelation at ‘Gladbach, making 60 first team appearances before the age of 21. He’s the latest talented German midfielder and looks set to have a massive future in the game. He turned down a host of Premier League clubs, including Liverpool, to sign for Dortmund and he’ll be a key figure if the Germans want to win their first U21 title since 2009.
Bruno Fernandes
Position: Midfielder
Club: Sampdoria
Country: Portugal
Fernandes is Portugal’s captain heading into this tournament and is one of their most experienced players. The 22-year old moved to Sampdoria last summer, after three years at Udinese, and was a star player in a team which finished 10th in Serie A. Portugal reached the final of the U21 tournament in 2015 and Fernandes will be an important player if they’re to go one step further.
Domenico Berardi
Position: Forward
Club: Sassuolo
Country: Italy
Berardi had a superb debut season in Serie A for Sassuolo in 2013/14, scoring three hat-tricks, including four in one game against AC Milan. He can play anywhere across the front line, but predominantly plays on the wing. In an era where the Italian senior team is comprised of largely experienced players, Berardi could provide a youthful element heading into next summer’s World Cup.
Max Meyer
Position: Forward
Club: Schalke
Country: Germany
Meyer is one of a number of German players who’ve won a senior international cap and he’s expected to be one of their first names on the team sheet. He already has tournament experience, having captained Germany to a silver medal in the 2016 Olympics and scoring four goals in the competition. He has admitted that there’s a “50-50” chance of leaving Schalke in the transfer window, but it’ll require a huge sum for the team from Gelsenkirchen to part with one of their prized assets.
Marko Grujic
Position: Midfielder
Club: Liverpool
Country: Serbia
Grujic joined Liverpool in January 2016 and was immediately loaned back to Red Star Belgrade for the remainder of the campaign. His debut season in the Premier League was largely forgettable, considering he was out for a long period of time with a hamstring injury, but if he performs in Poland, there’s no doubt that Jurgen Klopp will start to give him opportunities next year.
Dawid Kownacki
Position: Forward
Club: Lech Poznan
Country: Poland
Kownacki has been a first team regular at Poznan since the age of 16, which underlines the quality that the youngster possesses. He scored 27 goals last season and has already been labelled as the next Robert Lewandowski. He’s already been called up to the senior Poland squad, but is yet to win a first cap for his country.
Marco Asensio
Position: Midfielder
Club: Real Madrid
Country: Spain
Not many youngsters break into the Real Madrid squad, but after loan spells at Mallorca and Espanyol, Asensio has managed to do it. He stepped up to the plate after an injury crisis threatened to derail their title hopes, scoring nine goals and making 37 appearances in all competitions.
Inaki Williams
Position: Forward
Club: Athletic Bilbao
Country: Spain
Williams made his senior debut for Spain at Euro 2016 and hasn’t looked back. He’s one of their more experienced players at the age of 22, but experience can count for a lot in this tournament and he’ll assume the mantle of goalscorer. Spain’s attack looks formidable and they should be considered among the favourites to win the tournament.
Tammy Abraham
Position: Forward
Club: Chelsea
Country: England
Abraham had a breakthrough season while out on loan at Bristol City, scoring 26 goals in 48 appearances. He was the joint-second top scorer in the Championship, despite his side finishing 17th in the table. A loan move to a Premier League club beckons for next season and if he impresses, he could find himself in Chelsea’s first team fairly quickly.
Lewis Baker
Position: Midfielder
Club: Chelsea
Country: England
Baker has spent the last two seasons on loan at Vitesse Arnhem in Holland, scoring 20 goals in 73 appearances. He scored four goals in England’s victory at the Toulon Tournament last summer. If he performs to his best in Poland, then there could be huge interest in his services in the transfer window.
