The UEFA Under 21 Championships are upon us, one of the most important and well-regarded youth tournaments around the world, and will certainly give some indication of which European players could be the next big names of the future—bearing in mind the likes of Petr Cech, Alberto Aquilani, and Ryan Babel are just some of the names to have starred in previous versions of the tournament.
Interestingly this season's tournament is missing a number of big names, who are traditionally associated with success at this level. In particular the likes of defending champions Holland, France, and Portugal are missing from this year's tournament, but here is a team-by-team guide into all the teams participating in the tournament, and some of the players to watch out for.
Belarus
Perhaps the weakest of all the sides in this season's competition, Belarus have qualified for this competition only once before, when there team was spear-headed by one Aliaksander Hleb, but they qualified this time through coming from behind to beat Turkey 2-1 in their play-off match.
Though they are certainly one of the weaker sides they may have a slight advantage in that their league season has only just begun, meaning that their home-grown players could be fresher than their oppositions.
Everyone's Watching: Mikhail Sivakov—In a team packed with home-grown talents, Sivakov is one who has opted to play abroad, with Cagliari in Italy, and this tall defensive midfielder is highly thought of in his own country.
Most Important Player: Sergey Krivets is an exciting playmaker, who is an integral part of the FC Bate team—scoring their first ever Champions League goal against Juventus. He could well be to this Belarusian team what Hleb was to their last team.
One For The Scouts: Leonid Kovel—A capable goalscorer who has been capped for the Belarussian senior team. Kovel is a pacey striker who could surprise a few people in this tournament.
Chances: Remote, likely to depart early.
England
England, led by former-international Stuart Pearce, have been making significant progress in under-21 football in recent years, and come into this tournament as dark horses for the title.
Certainly their team has a bold mixture of experienced heads and exciting young talents. The likes of Joe Hart, Micah Richards, Gabriel Agbonlahor, and Theo Walcott are full internationals, while Nedum Onouha, Fabrice Muamba, James Milner, and Mark Noble are all Premiership regulars.
But the squad also contains exciting young talents who could catch the eye, in the likes of Kieran Gibbs, Jack Rodwell and Adam Johnson.
Everyone's Watching: Micah Richards—With England lacking a clear long-term solution to their right back position, the fortunes of Micah Richards will be monitored closely by England fans.
Most Important Player: James Milner—vastly experienced, having debuted in the Premiership as, at that time, its youngest ever player, Milner boasts a record amount of caps at international youth level for England, and this is likely to be his swansong for the under 21 team.
One For The Scouts: Jack Rodwell—A precocious talent, capable of playing both in central defence and midfield, many judges believe he will one day play for England and this tournament could well demonstrate exactly why.
Chances: Could surprise a few people, though much will depend on their match with Germany. Dark horses.
Spain
The Spanish are always contenders at this level, and their formidable youth development policy is a central point to their success on the international stage.
Certainly this crop will be keen to emulate the achievements of their predecessors, and there is little to suggest that they cannot go ahead and achieve great things once more. The Spanish team is packed with players with La Liga experience, such as Miguel Torres, Raul Garcia, Javi Garcia, Esteban Granero, Javier Martinez, Diego Capel, Sergio Asenjo, and their crown jewel Bojan Krkic.
Everyone's Watching: Bojan Krkic—The Barcelona starlet has enjoyed a successful campaign with his club side, though his personal contribution was negligible, and he will be looking to carry on that successful run. His record for Spanish youth teams is formidable and he has senior international experience, and he could well be the star of the tournament.
Most Important Player: Raul Garcia—easily the most experienced player in this team, Garcia is a precociously talented midfielder, boasting a wide passing range which is so vital to his team.
One For The Scouts: Sergio Asenjo—Goalkeepers rarely achieve top billing, but Asenjo is so highly regarded that he is sure to receive plenty of attention. The Vallodolid stopper debuted for their first team at an early age, and his sparkling form has seen him strongly linked with the likes of FC Barcelona and Atletico Madrid.
Chances: Boasting a fine group of players, Spain are certainly among the favourites for the trophy.
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