New Talent Poised To Make A Splash At EURO 2020/2021
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With the EURO 2020 Championship rescheduled to 2021, many nation’s carefully-planned line-ups are being questioned. While head coaches weigh up their options and deal with injuries, a group of players are poised to benefit.
These young, currently-uncapped footballers are already rising stars on merit. None were initially in the line-ups for EURO 2020/2021. However, they now have an extra year to prove their worth.
Spain: Ansu Fati
Born in Guinea-Bissau in 2002, Fati emigrated to Spain when he was six years old. Barcelona acknowledged the 17-year-old midfielder’s talent and offered him a contract in 2019. He scored a goal and an assist on his very first career start.
Since then, he’s scored a total of seven goals in just 24 appearances with Barcelona. He’s had two caps at the under-21 level, but no senior appearances as of yet. With a full year to continue proving his mettle with Barcelona, he’d make an excellent addition to the squad.
Germany: Youssoufa Moukoko
This Cameroon-born German player has been with Borussia Dortmund’s youth team since 2016. He already has a reputation for outstanding scoring ability. Moukoko’s only had four appearances with Germany’s national team, in the under-16’s. In those four, he scored three goals, making for an impressive average.
He’s already moving up in the world, training with Borussia’s adult team since early 2020. With an extra year ahead of him, Moukoko will turn 16 in November, allowing him to debut in the Bundesliga. This would be an opportunity to catch the eye of head coach Joachim Löw, although it may be the World Cup before we see him in the squad.
England: Mason Greenwood
Born in Bradford, this 18-year-old powerful forward already plays in the Premier League for Manchester United. Greenwood joined the club’s development program when he was only six years old. He had an impressive trajectory with the under-18 division, scoring 17 goals in 21 games in the U18 Premier League North.
Greenwood signed his first contract in late 2018 and made his first Champions League appearance against Valencia that same year. Since then, he’s scored 10 goals in 33 appearances with Manchester United and is a regular starter. One more year can give Gareth Southgate time to include this rising star.
France: Eduardo Camavinga
This Angola-born French midfielder moved to France when he was two years old. Based in Rennes, he then joined their development program at age 11, signing his first pro contract just five years later. At 16 years and one month, he remains the youngest player to ever sign for the club.
He debuted with the first team in 2019, making 32 appearances and scoring one goal since. While he’s already had two appearances with the U21 national team, he remains relatively low-profile. A stellar performance next season could earn him a spot in the French national team.
Netherlands: Joshua Zirkzee
Born in Schiedam, this imposing 6’4” forward turned 19 in early 2020. He came up through the Feyenoord youth training program, over in the Netherlands. However, in 2017 he transitioned to Bayern Munich’s youth squad, at age 16. He’s currently with the Bayern Munich reserve team, which plays in the German 3 League.
Continued high-level performances this season and next could prompt Bayern to transition Zirkzee to the first team. This, in turn, would certainly catch the eye of the Oranje head coach, Ronald Koeman.
