Euro 2012: Players Who Will Not Make an Impact

We've all seen various reports of the players who are going to be the next big thing and who are going to light up the European Championships, but what about the players who will be in Poland and Ukraine without actually contributing to their teams?

Over the years players have been built up to be something they're not, either through one great match or an over inflated ego.

Lets have a look at some of these overrated professional.

Leave a comment if you have any other suggestions?

Nicklas Bendtner

Nicklas Bendtner appears to have been around for a very long time, yet he is still only 24 years old.

Plying his trade at Arsenal in the English Premier League, the 6'5" centre forward is a classic case of someone who believes he is better than he actually is.

Since making bizarre claims of being the best forward at the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa (he scored one goal), the Denmark international only managed to score 8 goals while on a season-long loan at Sunderland.

Hardly world-class stats.

With a tough group ahead, it's unlikely that Nicklas will be adding to his goal tally in Poland and Ukraine.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic

The Swedish sensation is a terrific centre forward and held in high regard across Europe, yet I have rarely seen him play a good game.

Zlatan has an unfortunate record of leaving clubs the year before they win Europe's premier competition, the Champions League.

The quality is undoubted and the stats impressive (234 goals in 490 appearances) but it seems that Zlatan is only prepared to play when it suits him.

For Sweden, his record is good but not great. In the big games he has gone missing.

Tournament football might not suit him, as players must perform at their best several times in a short period.

We'll see, but I think he will be a big disappointment.

Franck Ribery

There is no doubt in my mind that Franck Ribery is a world-class player. Any team in the world would welcome him with open arms, but his international statistics are very disappointing.

With only eight goals in 58 appearances, a player of his quality and attacking prowess should be contributing a lot more to his team.

France has undergone a tough period in it's football history after the debacle that was the 2010 FIFA World Cup. Players revolting against the past regime and poor performances meant an early exit, and Ribery was part of that mess.

Should he perform at his best, France will have a very positive tournament. However, I have my doubts.

Stewart Downing

When England fans see Downing's name on the team sheet, you can almost sense a collective groan amongst them.

Downing has been a massive underachiever.

He has all the attributes necessary to be successful. Speed, trickery, good delivery and a powerful shot, but for some reason he has failed to showcase his talents on a regular basis.

With 67 caps to his name (how he got that many is beyond me) Downing has scored 17 goals, which isn't actually that bad but his performances in those games have often disappointed.

He has earned himself a place in Roy Hodgson's squad for the tournament despite not scoring or creating one goal for his club side Liverpool in the 2011/12 season.

You wouldn't think they shelled out almost £20 million for him...

Philippe Mexes

A hot prospect in his days at Auxerre, Philippe Mexes has gone on to play for Roma and Milan but for one reason or another he only amassed 24 international caps in 10 years.

Though Mexes has the footballing skills to be successful, his defensive frailties have consistently set him back.

France manager Laurent Blanc appears to favour Mexes, but the centre back position has little depth and a couple of mistakes at the tournament could cost him his place, for good.