UEFA Euro 2012: Thiago Alcantara and 6 Players Who Will Break out This Summer

Three months away from the Euro 2012 kick off, there are several youngsters that will help their teams succeed. Most importantly, they will show the world that age is just a number and has nothing to do with talent and abilities.

The European Championship is the perfect competition to be noticed and show the world they can become tomorrow’s football standard bearers, both of their clubs and national teams.

Lets take a look to these young promises.

Thiago Alcantara

He currently plays for Barcelona, the only club where he has played professionally.

Despite his young age—20 years old—Thiago is a clever midfielder who can control and keep the ball in style. He’s fast, dribbles and assists his teammates in the right moment.

Alcantara made his debut with Spain’s senior team last year and has scored three times ever since.

Mario Balotelli

Italy’s bad boy must change his conduct if he wants to play in the summer, according to the Azzurri's boss Cesare Prandelli.

If Mario Balotelli can clean up his act he’d certainly become a threat to other teams. He’s a technical forward, with fine touch, speed and strength.

At age 21, he plays for Manchester City and has scored 11 times in the 2011/2012 season.

Alan Dzagoev

Russia’s Alan Dzagoev debuted with the national team in 2010 at the World Cup qualifiers; he was only 18 years old.

Two years later, Dzagoev has become a cornerstone of CSKA Moskow, where he plays as midfielder and is responsible of creating a great number of plays.

He’s no stranger to scoring, his impeccable touch with the right foot and ball control are two of his most outstanding skills.

Christian Eriksen

20-year-old Christian Eriksen has become a cornerstone for Ajax and the Denmark national team.

His speed and dribbling skills set him as a creative midfielder who can also attack and score.

He has played for Ajax since 2010, but it wasn't until this season that he proved how good he is, especially at the Champions League—second youngest player to score—and the 2012 Euro qualifying.

Kyriakos Papadopoulos

This 19-year-old Greek centre-back has established himself as a strong and reliable player. Kyriakos has played for Schalke 04 since 2010, when he left Olympiakos after three years.

With the national team, Papadopoulos has appeared seven times in which he has proven to be a tough defender, but also, a good addition to the offense, as his aerial game gave Greece two goals in the 2012 Euro qualifier.

André Schürrle

André Schürrle is just 21 years old and already plays for one of Germany’s top clubs: Bayer Leverkusen.

He’s a lethal striker, especially when it comes to long-distance shots. André is right-footed and made his debut with Germany’s senior team in 2010 at age 20.

Schürrle has scored five times with the national team, three of those at the 2012 Euro qualifying.

Ola Toivonen

Sweden’s Ola Toivonen has established himself as a top scorer for PSV Eindhoven since he started playing there in 2009.

Toivonen scored twice in the 2012 Euro qualifier, against Moldova and Netherlands. His skills include a superb aerial game—he’s 1.91 meters tall—and has the ability to shot with both legs.

In 2006 he received the Swedish Newcomer of the Year award.