Key players of the Euro Competitions
There are many players who will be using the Euro championships to showcase their skills to the world and these players are an essential part to the hopes of their nation as they attempt to gain the glory of becoming champions. In this article we will look at the key players for each team and discuss what they offer their national sides.
1. England – The key player for England in this tournament is the captain Steven Gerrard as if England are to progress he will need to give some of his best performances. Gerrard is a major threat to other teams when on his game as he can control games and drive his team onwards.
2. Ukraine – The Ukraine’s key player is the attacking midfielder Tara Mikhalik as he is the creative inspiration of the team. Mikhalik is an integral part of the squad and they will be sure to need his top quality passing skills if they are to challenge for the title.
3. France – The French have many great players in their squad but none are as important to the team as Karim Benzema. The forward has had a great season for Real Madrid and scored lots of goals and France will need him to be firing on all cylinders if they are to be a threat.
4. Sweden – The Swedes have seen a huge amount of anticipation placed on them for this tournament so if they are to do well they will need the charismatic Zlatan Ibrahimovic to be on his best form. The Milanese striker is a genuine gaol threat from any angle and if he is in top form he could have a huge impact on Sweden’s chances.
5. Croatia – The Croats have many great players that can have an impact on the way they play but none of these is as valuable to the team as the Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Luka Modric. Modric has the creative flair and imagination to cause any team huge problems and if he is on form he will sure be hard to handle.
6. Spain – The key player for the Spanish national side is none other than the Barcelona talisman Xavi Hernandez. The midfield magician has the ability to tear teams to pieces with his pin point passing skills and the fact that he rarely gives the ball away.
7. Italy – The Italians are known for the amount of highly skilled players they have available for their squad so choosing a key player from these can be tough. After great consideration we feel the key player for the Italian side will be Mario Balotelli as the Man City striker has all the ability to take his team all the way to the final.
8. Republic of Ireland – The Irish are huge underdogs for the tournament but have some great players who are more than capable of causing an upset in games. A key player for the Irish is of course Darren Gibson as the ex Man Utd midfielder has all the skills and experience to help his side considerably.
9. Portugal – Choosing the key player for the Portuguese was a simple task as he this player is simply phenomenal. The player of course in Cristiano Ronaldo as the attacking midfielder can tear defences to pieces himself or for his team mates and he will truly be hard to stop to say the least.
10. Holland – The Dutch once again have a wealth of players to choose from for the category of key players but we feel this award should go to the Arsenal striker Robin Van Persie. The striker has had a fantastic season for his club side and won the golden boot in the premier league so if he can keep up this form through the tournament it may lead to another prestigious award for the Dutch talisman.
11. Denmark – The Danish come into the Euros with high hopes as they now have some top players in their ranks but none of these are as important to the team as Christian Erikssen. The winger possesses lighting quick feet and pace that can terrorize defences easily and he also has the ability to find the pivotal pass that can change a game at any time.
12. Germany – The player who can make a huge difference to the Germans chances of winning Euro 2012 if he is on form is of course the Real Madrid attacking midfielder Mesut Ozil. Ozil has just won the league with Real and has had a fantastic season with his club side so the only question is can he take this excellent form and use it to help Germany become champions.
13. Greece – The most key player to the Greeks is without a doubt Giorgos samaras as the midfielder holds all the attributes required to do the job for his country. He is very strong built and quick and has the eye to pick out a defence splitting pass so he will surely be extremely important to the Greeks if they are to be successful.
14. Poland – The co hosts of the tournament stand a great chance of doing well and a key player for them is of course the highly rated striker Robert Lewandowski. The Dortmund striker has had a great season at domestic level winning the German championship and is now ready to show off his huge amount of skills to the rest of the world.
15. Czech Republic – The Czechs also have some great players but we have identified Thomas Rosicky as the player that can take his team all the way. The midfielder has great skills and can see a defence splitting pass with ease and also works incredibly hard for his team.
16. Russia – Andrey Arshavin is by far the most influential player for Russia and he has had a great season since leaving Arsenal to go back to Zenit St Petersburg. The jar sized forward has all the ability required to destroy defences and brings his team mates into the game very well also. We feel if Arshavin is on form for this tournament he could be the difference between winning and tournament and not.