Euro 2012, new stars set to shine

With the 2012 European Championships due to start today, it's a chance for young players to shine, players that have established themselves at their clubs and are just finding their feet at international level. Traditionally, the Euros have been a platform for younger players to make a name for themselves and here I look at 7 players who could be household names after the tournament ends in three weeks

Danny Welbeck
Manchester United and England
21 year old centre forward
International games/goals: 5/1
Welbeck came through the youth ranks at Manchester United and after loan spells at Preston North End and Sunderland, last season was his first full senior season with the Premier League runner ups. Keeping out the likes of Dimitar Berbatov and Javier Hernandez he went on to make 30 appearances and score 9 goals in that time, mainly while partnering his England colleague Wayne Rooney. Making his international debut in March 2011 he has played 5 games for England to date, scoring his only goal in his last game against Belgium. Oddly, with Wayne Rooney suspended for the first two games, Welbeck will look to replace the man he partners at club level.

Jodi Alba
Valencia and Spain
23 year old left sided defender/midfielder
International games/goal: 4/0
Having been an ever present in the Valencia team since 2009, Alba is now getting recognition at international level, with Capdevilla not in the squad (he was starting left back when Spain won Euro 2008 and World Cup 2010), Alba is an exciting prospect to watch who could well move on to another club after this tournament (both Manchester United and Barcelona are reportedly interested), this is one exciting left back who could really make his mark over the next few weeks

Rui Patricio
Sporting Lisbon and Portugal
24 year old goalkeeper
International games/goals: 11/0
Having made his debut for Sporting in 2006, he has played almost 150 games for his club and is looking to cement himself as his countries no. 1. Having started the last 5 games for Portugal, it does seem manager Paulo Bento will stick with him and at just 24, this is the first tournament of potentially many that will feature Rui Patricio. If Portugal are to do well then he will have to perform though with the likes of Christiano Ronaldo and Nani in the team, the weight of a nation isn't on his shoulders, Portugal could be a very dangerous team in this tournament and one to watch.

Mario Gotze
Borussia Dortmund and Germany
20 year old attacking midfielder
International games/goals: 14/2
Germany are favourites to win the tournament just behind Spain and scarily, they have selected only one player over 30 so they will nly get better over the next few years. Gotze is a product of the Dortmund youth academy, making his first team debut in 2009 and making 25 appearances for them last season where he was part of the league and cup winning side.  Ironically making his debut in November 2010 with Andre Schurrle, both players simultaneously became the first players born in the re-unified Germany to represent their country. In less than 2 years Gotze has scored 2 goals in his 14 international games and is ready to take the world by storm, having already allegedly turned down a transfer to Arsenal, Dortmund may have to work hard to keep one of the best young players in the world right now after Euro 2012.

Christian Eriksen
Ajax and Denmark
20 year old midfielder
International games/goals: 22/2
The youngest player at the World Cup in 2010 and has spent the last 2 years having a rising influence on that Danish squad. In February 2011 after a match against England, Frank Lampard and Rio Ferdinand both praised the midfielders performance. Having become a main part of the Ajax team over the past 2 and a half years and winning league titles, this is a tournament set up for Eriksen to make a name for himself and the 20 year old WILL start for a country that has nothing to lose, this Danish wonderkid has already attracted the attention of some of Europe's other major sides.

Alan Dzagoev
CSKA Moscow and Russia
21 year old attacking midfielder
International games/goals: 20/4
By the time the World Cup heads to Russia in 2018, Dzagoev should be the figurehead head of the Russian side and potentially the face of the tournament. Making his debut for CSKA Moscow in 2008, Dzagoev has been an ever-present for his club ever since and already won the Russian cup 3 times. When he made his debut for Russia in October 2008 he became the youngest ever outfield player for Russia and gone on to score 4 goals in 20 games for the Soviets. This set piece specialist has already attracted attention from clubs such as Manchester United and Tottenham and is someone who is a diligent hard worker and can achieve whatever he wants to achieve.

Yann M'Vila
Rennes and France
21 year old defensive midfielder
International games/goals: 19/1
As of writing M'Vila was still in the French squad though had taken a knock in the weekend fixture against Serbia. Losing M'Vila would be a blow to French coach Laurent Blanc and disrupt his plans, that's how good this young defensive midfielder is for his country. Having played 130 games for his club Rennes since 2009, in August 2010 he won his first cap for France and has become a mainstay of a rejuvenated France squad that spectacularly imploded at the last World Cup. Strongly linked with a move to Arsenal, opposition sides won't enjoy coming up against the tough tackling Frenchman who will look to restore some national pride.

Euro 2012: Group A, the most open group

 With the opening games of the tournament set to come from this group on Friday, it's interesting to look at the 4 teams in Group A. This group is the most open of all 4 and feasibly, any 2 of the sides can qualify for the quarter-finals and once out of the group, anything can happen as Greece themselves proved by winning the tournament in 2004.

Czech Republic

 At the start of qualifying, head coach Michal Bilek identified the team had a lack of width and switched his formation to have either Nurnberg's Tomas Peckhart or Milan Baros from Galatasary as the lone striker with Arsenal's Tomas Rosicky in support. Jaroslav Plasil, the defensive midfielder who plies his trade in France for Bordeaux has been the key for the Czech's success in qualifying, he allows them team to have more creative freedom with the likes of Vaclav Pilar (Wolfsburg) at his side. The Czech's are a very well organised side that are dangerous on the counter attack with team captain Petr Cech from Chelsea in goal able to set the team on their way forward.

Key player - Petr Cech, the 29 year old goalkeeper will need to be in fine form and keeping clean sheets for the Czech's to even get out of the group, let alone progress further but if he plays as well as he did for Chelsea in their winning Champions League campaign last season the Czech have a fighting chance.

Prediction - with Poland having home support and Russia not far behind with fans surely to travel to support them, Czech Republic may find it hard to get through the group and should potentially finish 3rd

Greece

   After Otto Rehhagel left as manager in 2010 after 9 years, new Portuguese manager Fernando Santos brought with him a new mentality and changed the style of the team to be more direct. They have over the past 2 years become a more controlled team that tries to build play from the back. A side not littered with star names but who, as in 2004, play as a strong team unit, have experience in players like Celtic's Georgios Samaras, captain from Panathinaikos Georgios Karagounis and Kostas Katsourninis, all who played in 2004.

Key Player - Sotiris Ninis, the Panathinaikos playmaker missed most of last season for his club through injury so may be rusty going into this tournament but has a chance to make a name for himself. The 22 year old left sided winger has played 19 games for Greece already and scored 2 goals and will look to impress to potentially attract interest from bigger clubs across Europe 

Prediction - Much like the Czech Republic, Greece could well struggle in the anticipated hostile crowds and could well finish bottom of the group

Poland

  With managerial experience stretching back all the way to the early 70's (and managing George Best no less at Los Angeles Aztecs), hugely experienced head coach Francciszek Smuda has been happy to select players that have Polish roots though raised in other countries after families have moved nations following World War II (Tesco has announced 20,000 new jobs are to be created in the UK, Poland's Prime Minister has welcomed the news), this has allowed Smuda the luxury of fielding a side with a more high energy side than seen over previous years, beating the likes of Germany and Argentina in friendlies over the past 2 years. The midfield look to keep possession with team captain Jakub Blaszczykowski from Borussia Dortmund integral in the centre. They are perhaps over-reliant on fellow Dortmund player Robert Lewandowski up front and if he was injured or suspended, it's hard to see where they would score goals though Celtic's Pawel Brozek does aid the side though not as prolifically.

Key player - Robert Lewandowski, he will be in the form of his life having won the German Bundesliga's Player Of The Year Award in leading Dortmund to a league and cup double scoring 30 goals last season and 8 assists. Lewandowski could well be the top goal scorer in this tournament or at least in the group stages.

Prediction - home advantage should mean they qualify for the quarter-finals but there they could struggle against superior opponents from Group B like Germany, Netherlands or Portugal

Russia

   Succeeding Guus Hiddink as manager, Dutchman Dick Advocaat hasn't really changed the side or stamped his own authority in the two years he's been in charge and it's likely that he will stay with the same tried and trusted set of players throughout. The likes of Arsenal's Andrei Arshavin, Zenit St Petersburg's Aleksandr Kerzhakov and current Lokomotiv Moscow (and former Tottenham) striker Roman Pavlyuchenko will be the main threat on goal for opposition to worry about but it's young Alan Dzagoev from CSKA Moscow who could really impress in this squad from midfield. With Arshavin and defender Sergei Ignashevich both able to score from free-kicks, watch for the Russians to be deadly at set pieces or with crosses into the goal area to their tall forwards.

Key player - Alan Dzagoev, so far scoring 4 goals in just 20 appearances and current winner of Best Young Player Of The Year in Russia, this is a stage where the young CSKA Moscow midfielder could make a name for himself. The 21 year old attacking midfielder will be a threat and I expect him to stand out amongst the younger players in the tournament

Prediction - Much like Poland, they should progress from the group and then fall at the quarter final stage, they will have travelling support who will get behind them and they will be a danger to any side that face them.