Euro 2012: Top 7 Young Talents We've Seen So Far
European Championships and World Cups alike can be breakout stages for many of the game's future stars.
This summer is no different, as the stage is set for a number of stars to earn big-money moves off the back of big performances for their countries.
To qualify for this article, you have to be aged 23 or under. Here are the top seven young stars we've seen so far.
Enjoy the slideshow!
Alan Dzagoev
1 of 7Alan Dzagoev took Europe by storm after an impressive brace against Czech Republic. He could and probably should have had a third too, inexplicably missing the target in a one vs. one with Petr Cech whilst his tally still stood at one.
He's not a new name to the scene, having created himself a positive reputation at CSKA Moskva. But no one expected a performance quite like that, and his positional awareness is stunning.
Another goal against Poland saw his stock rise even further, as fantasy football connoisseurs everywhere sold off players to make room for him in their teams.
Kyriakos Papadopoulos
2 of 7At age 20, Kyriakos Papadopoulos has stepped into a difficult situation and shone.
He came on from the bench against Poland after the referee decided to award a bizarre red card to Sokratis Papastathopoulos.
Nicknamed "The Terminator," the young Greek has shown us why he is so highly rated by current club Schalke 04 and why he could become a top-tier central defender with seasons to come.
Andriy Yarmolenko
3 of 7World football aficionados are well aware of Andriy Yarmolenko's footballing ability—but a large majority of Europe are only just finding out about his mercurial potential.
He shone against Sweden, sweeping across the midfield with great effect. He provided the assist for one of Andriy Shevchenko's goals as Ukraine came to life.
Expect him to run the creative side of his nation's game in the following two games as well.
Yevhen Konoplyanka
4 of 7Keeping with the Ukrainian theme, Yevhen Konoplyanka is another valuable creative asset at Oleg Blokhin's disposal.
The co-hosts can rest assured that with Andriy Yarmolenko on the left and Konoplyanka on the right, Andriy Voronin and Andriy Shevchenko's supply will never run dry.
He's excellent at supplying a ball into the box—an approach a traditional Ukrainian side welcome—and his wonderful delivery secured Shevchenko's second in their comeback win against Sweden.
Jerome Boateng
5 of 7Jerome Boateng makes it onto this list by virtue of being just 23 years of age, despite seemingly having been around forever.
Boateng was the man who shut Cristiano Ronaldo down single-handedly, limiting him to just one meaningful shot and one dangerous cross.
His versatility is admirable, as is his remarkable mobility and agility. He was able to keep his eyes on the ball and not fall victim to the Portuguese captain's mesmeric step-over marathons.
Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain
6 of 7To be thrown in at the deep end is what every youngster wants, as it represents a chance to stamp your authority on a team.
Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain was given a surprise start against France and put in a typically committed shift.
He was fearless in the face of a talented Laurent Blanc side, and despite drifting from the game after receiving a yellow card, he likely did enough to secure a starting berth against Sweden.
Václav Pilař
7 of 7Any player who has two goals by now is worth a mention. Václav Pilař has two in two, showing a striker's instinct in addition to a creative edge.
He was the lone bright spot in a drab Czech Republic performance against Russia, and caused several problems for Greece too.
He appears versatile, dangerous and enthusiastic. Any European clubs just learning about his abilities will be disappointed to find out he signed for VfL Wolfsburg on a precontract basis back in January 2012.
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