In a European competition quite literally bursting with talent, the toughest of tasks will be predicting the likely Player of the Tournament.
As is symptomatic of all international tournaments, there will be young
players that announce their arrival on the world stage, experienced
hands that play their roles to perfection and a plethora of established
names who fail to live up to expectations. Let’s take a look at a few
players who can potentially set the tournament alight!
Thomas Muller [13.00]
It’s going to be very difficult to look
past Thomas Muller picking up the highest of individual accolades at
Euro 2016. The German utility forward seems to have been around forever,
yet at the age of 26 has already won just about all there is win in
football. Bayern Munich managed the league and cup double this season,
with Muller scoring 20 goals in the Bundesliga – third on the list of
top scorers. Let’s not forget that Muller won the Best Young Player and
Golden Boot awards at the 2010 World Cup with five goals and three
assists. He scored five more at the 2014 World Cup, receiving the Silver
Boot and a World Cup winner’s medal.
Antoine Griezmann [15.00]
2015/16 has been Antoine Griezmann’s
breakout season with an Atletico Madrid side that lost out on the
Champions League trophy by the narrowest of margins in a penalty
shootout with crosstown rivals Real Madrid. Playing just off the
shoulder, Griezmann’s extreme pace will be important in a young, strong
French side looking to lift the trophy in the capital come the end of
the tournament. Griezmann netted 22 times in La Liga this season, and 32
times in all competitions. Although the frontman will be forced to put
the disappointment of the Champions League final behind him and focus
fully on national duties, he’ll likely get plenty of chances in a
creative French side.
Kevin De Bruyne [17.00]
Manchester City’s big money signing
perhaps didn’t show the kind of dominance displayed last season for
Wolfsburg, but it was by no means a disappointing term for the Belgian
playmaker. Some trademark stunners were mixed with his usual technical
skill in opening up defences and he was without a doubt Belgium’s stand
out performer during qualifying, eclipsing even the likes of Eden
Hazard. Underlining his quality, De Bruyne netted another sumptuous long
range effort in a recent friendly with Switzerland. If Belgium are able
to progress as far in the tournament as the number one FIFA ranking
suggests, expect De Bruyne to be at the heart of their success.
Harry Kane [19.00]
Harry Kane surely has to lead the line
for England this summer. There is plenty of competition for the spot but
with 30 goals in all competitions this season, Kane has proved that he
is a world-class striker. England undoubtedly have a few problems at the
back and will need to score goals if they hope to progress deep into
the competition. In Kane, they have one of the hardest working forwards
on the planet whose telepathic understanding with Dele Alli has the
ability to unlock even the meanest of defensive lines. It’s certainly a
punt to look towards Kane picking up the Player of the Tournament award,
but such deadly instincts in front of goal cannot be ignored.
Robert Lewandowski [34.00]
Perhaps the best European striker around
at the moment, Lewandowski’s quality is not up for debate. A beast of a
frontman with goals in abundance, Lewandowski’s only drawback is the
fact that he plays for Poland. However, following a strong qualifying
campaign, finishing second in their group only to Germany by a point,
the nation will feel they have a fantastic chance of progressing to the
knockout stages in a group containing the Germans, Northern Ireland and
Ukraine. Lewandowski scored a stunning 30 goals in 32 Bundesliga matches
this season, netting 44 times in all competitions for Bayern Munich. If
Poland are to spring a surprise and upset bigger nations at Euro 2016,
they will need Lewandowski to lead the line with his trademark clinical
intensity.
Fancy any of these picks for Player of the Tournament? View all of the candidates here!
Some of these players also make it onto our list for Top Goalscorer
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