Euro 2008 Star Players: Top 10 Ones To Watch

By Football Daft at 29 May, 2008, 7:55 am

Top 10 players to star in Austria and Switzerland at Euro 2008…

There is going to be no shortage of talent on show at this summers Euro 2008 tournament in Austria and Switzerland but there are certain players to look out for more than others. I have picked out what i think will be the top 10 players to really make an impact on this years European Championships. Let’s see if you agree with my choices. Read on for the full list.

Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal) - It goes without saying really that Cristiano Ronaldo will be the centre of attention at this summers European Championships. The flamboyant Portuguese winger has had a remarkable season at Old Trafford this year, having blitzed George Best’ Manchester United record for most goals scored in a single season by a midfielder by 10 goals. Ronaldo finished the season with 42 goals and won the European Golden Shoe for 2007/2008. His tricks and flicks are sure to dazzle spectators in Austria and Switzerland but don’t be surprised if he bags his fair share of goals as well, a striker may not finish as the competitions top goal scorer this year.

Luka Modric (Croatia) - The Croatian wonderkid signed for Tottenham at the tale end of 2007/2008 Barclays Premier League season so Spurs will be looking forward to seeing the Croat in action at this summers Championship. Having previously played for Dynamo Zagreb, Modric hasn’t really featured on the big stage up until now but during Croatia’s Euro 2008 qualifying he really proved how good he is. He is a similar player to Cesc Fabregas, he has great vision, equally good in attack and defence and can thread the ball through to the attack with a blindfold on. He will be Croatia’s playmaker in the middle of the park.

Karim Benzema (France) - Karim Benzema has really come out of the shadows this season and now has a whole load of major European clubs vying for his signature. The young French striker is still only 20 years old but still finished this season as French Ligue 1 top goal scorer for his club Lyon. With Thierry Henry and Nicolas Anelka being somewhat under par this season, we may see quite a lot of Karim Benzema at this years Championship and expect a few goals aswell.

Samir Nasri (France) - Arsenal are extremely keen on the Marseille attacking midfielder and who can blame them. Nasri, aged just 20, has been often referred to as the “New Zinedine Zidane” and this season has broken onto the global scene. The quick and flamboyant France midfielder is sure to light up the tournament with his dribbling skills this year so Arsenal fans keep an eye on him! He may be heading to the Emirates.

Fernando Torres (Spain) - Torres will arguably be the most-watched striker at this years competition by both the fans, and defenders. El Nino has had a fantastic debut season in a Liverpool jersey bagging 33 goals including 24 Premier League goals, a new Premier League record for most goals scored in a debut season. His lightning pace, movement and incredible finishing are the traits of all great strikers and he will be a threat against any team. Defenders beware!

Klaas-Jan Huntelaar (Netherlands) - There is only one way to describe the big Dutch striker and that is “Goal Machine”. The Ajax striker has an incredible goals to games ratio and is one of Europe’s best marksmen if not the best. In 2005–06 season he scored 33 goals in 31 games and in the 2007/08 season he scored 33 goals in 34 games. The Dutchman is a defenders nightmare and he is certain to grab a few goals at this summers tournament.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic (Sweden) - The big Swede hasn’t really put on the show at major tournaments in the past quite as much as what was expected from him but for Inter Milan, he does it week in, week out in Serie A. The flamboyant trickster is like Dimitar Berbatov x2 and is nothing short of a genius with the ball at his feet. With his flicks, tricks, power and venomous shots, he is certain to be one of the players to light up Euro 2008 this year.

Cesc Fabregas (Spain) - The Arsenal playmaker is now regarded as one of the best players in the world and has been put in amongst the band of players with a world-class tag on their heads despite being only 21 years old. He is now so in demand and so high profile that he has even been given his own television show! There is one stage however where Fabregas hasn’t proved himself yet and that is at a major International Tournament. This summers tournament could be where Cesc Fabregas puts the remaining critics to rest so watch out for the Arsenal starlet as he will be determined to prove just how good he really is.

Pavel Pogrebnyak (Russia) - Pavel Pogrebnyak has had a fantastic season this year with his club Zenit St Petersburg and really made a name for himself in this seasons UEFA Cup competition. His 10 goals scored in the UEFA Cup this year sent his team to the final where they later went on to win and he finished as the competitions top goal scorer. He could be the man behind a surprise Russian revolution in the competition with Andrei Arshavin missing Russia’s first two matches.

Artur Boruc (Poland) - Only the host nations, Austria and Switzerland are placed lower in the Fifa World Rankings than Poland and with Germany and Croatia in their group, Poland may have to rely quite heavily on their defence and their goalkeeper to get them out of trouble. Artur Boruc has been fantastic for his club, Celtic, in recent seasons between the posts, both domestically and in the Champions League. The eccentric goalkeeper has bags of experience on the big stage and he could be the star goalkeeper at Euro 2008 this summer.