7 England players who could light up Euro 2016

Out with the old, in with the new. English hearts have been broken on many occasions in International tournaments. They have hoped for a hero, a savior who would light up a tournament and give them a realistic chance of lifting a first major trophy since Bobby Moore’s team of 1966 but tournament after tournament, they’ve been left with nothing but disappointment.

Yet, they have reason to believe this time as they go into Euro 2016 with a fresh squad. A crop of young, exciting players are set to take center stage and after having a first taste of crashing out at a major tournament, they will be more determined than ever to prove their worth on the international scene.

With that in mind, here are 7 English players who could set Euro 2016 alight:

7. Dele Alli

England’s newest wonder-kid, Dele Alli was one of the standout players for MK Dons as they achieved automatic promotion to the Championship by finishing second in League 1. His pace and ability to terrorize defenses caught the eye of Tottenham Hotspur who wasted no time  in snatching him up during the January transfer window.

He was loaned straight back to the Dons and ended the season with 16 goals in 44 appearances. He also picked up the Football League’s Young player of the year award and was included in the Fooball league team of the year. Alli has started this season as brightly as he finished the last, with 2 goals in 4 appearances so far warranting a call up to the England squad  for the Euro 2016 qualifiers against Estonia and Lithuania hardly a month after making his debut for the U21’s side. Some say he’s being thrust into the limelight too soon at the raw age of 19, while others say he was destined to be a regular starter for his national side and will be in the team for the next decade.

Only time will tell, but Dele Alli will feel on top of the world. Just how confident is he?  Luka Modric and Toni Kroos can answer that question.

6. Jamie Vardy

A player known for his hard work and dedication, Jamie Vardy has been the driving force behind Leicester City’s jaw-dropping start to the season. He became an instant hit in his debut season as a Premier League player last year with his speed, will power and team spirit catching the eye of a lot of football fans across the country, but more importantly,  the attention of Roy Hodgson.

The only problem with Vardy was his goal scoring record. He performed consistently for the foxes, but rarely scored. His meagre total of 5 goals in 34 Premier League appearances was testament to that. However, if there were any problems with his game last season, none of them  have been carried on to this season. Vardy has hit the ground running, already beating his entire total for last season as he proudly sits atop the Premier League goal scoring chart with 7 goals in just 8 games this season. His stunning form has helped Leicester defy all odds and while teams like Chelsea and Liverpool are struggling, Leicester are proudly sitting 5th in the table, just a solitary point behind 2nd placed Arsenal. It’s still early days in the league but there are no doubts that if Vardy continues this rich vein of form he’s on at the moment, the points will continue to overflow.

He looks like he could be a real asset for England as well. He showed that in the qualifiers against Estonia, coming on in the 83rd minute for Theo Walcott and grabbing an assist for Raheem Sterling’s goal just two minutes later.

5. Theo Walcott

Walcott has been around long enough to know how this works. By the time the tournament kicks off, he would’ve been part of the England set up for 10 whole years. Walcott, at the raw age of 17 years and 75 days, became the youngest player ever to play for England’s first team. He also became the youngest ever player to score a hat-trick for England. However, despite being around for a decade, he has only managed to pick up 42 caps for England- Wayne Rooney has been around the England set up just 3 years longer than Walcott but has already crossed 100 caps. Injuries have had a massive say in his lack of appearances for the Three Lions as it is with all pacey football players.

When Walcott is fit however, there is no doubting his ability. He is one of the fastest players in the game at the moment, and he combines his raw pace with brilliant balance and movement on and off the ball. His favored role is as a central striker, but he is often used on the wings because of his blistering speed and skill on the ball, and also due to England’s variety of options up front. He has gone on a hot scoring streak since returning from his last injury set back with 12 goals in his last 14 Premier League appearances and if he can manage to stay fit, he will be crucial to England’s hopes of winning silverware in the 2016 tournament.

4. Harry Kane

Looks like HurriKane  Harry isn’t coming back for round two. A lot of pressure was put on Harry Kane at the start of the season to replicate the break-through season he had for club and country last season and he hasn’t delivered yet. As the saying goes, a player’s second season is always harder than his first, and Kane is feeling it in full force. He looks out of sorts at the moment and desperately in need of confidence. All great strikers go through barren spells though, and it’s only natural for a young striker who is now really feeling his way into the league.

At times it’s easy to forget that Kane is only 22 years old. After last season, teams would’ve studied Kane’s game. He isn’t the fastest of players but Kane’s knack of getting in the right place at the right time combined with his ability to finish made him one of the most wanted strikers last season. He will eventually find himself again and on his day he can still be a real handful for defenders but he needs to start scoring again if he’s to start for England especially with the competition provided by two inform strikers in Vardy and Walcott and of course, Captain Wayne Rooney.

3. Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain

He is what you would call an absolute beast of a player. Oxlade-Chamberlain, affectionately known as the “Ox” by those who play with him and fearfully by those who play against him,  is one of England’s brightest prospects at the moment. Known for his bullish physical presence and as it seems is the current norm for English players,  raw pace, he is also a player who is more concerned about the team than himself. His directness and willingness to run at defenders means he’s a constant thorn in the side of any opponent he faces. Arsené Wenger recently said that Oxlade-Chamberlain should believe in himself and his talent more and said he feels the winger is too hard on himself. It just shows how determined Alex is to be a success and such players are hard to come by.

He has made a bright start to the season, starring in games against Chelsea in the community shield, where he scored an absolute rocket, and as a substitute in the recent 3-0 demolition of Manchester United.  Another thing that makes him stand out is his versatility. He is a natural winger, but has been used as a defensive midfielder and a central-midfielder for his club because of his strength on the ball and his ability to win it back. The 22 year old has been unfortunate with injures recently, his groin being a pestering problem for months now and England will hope he will be fit once the tournament comes round.

2. Ross Barkley

What a player Barkley could be for England. You don’t just draw comparisons with the likes of Paul Gascoigne, Michael Ballack and Wayne Rooney unless you are something special, and Barkley definitely is a special talent.

He first broke through to the Everton first team under David Moyes after starring for their U-21’s side but his real break-through season came when Roberto Martinez took over in 2013 after Moyes departed for Manchester United. He made 38 appearances for the Toffees that year and scored 7 goals and also received his first call up for the national side. As it is with the English, the moment talent is spotted, it is hyped and pressurized and that can really have an effect on a player and Barkley was no exception. The very next season Barkley became a forgotten man, labelled “just another over-hyped player” by the media and the fans. He looked short of confidence, tired, uninspiring and uninfluential. All the conviction seemed to have left his game as he put in insipid performances for Everton. A lot of it was down to him not being played in his preferred position in the number 10 role but that didn’t stop the critics.

Whoever doubted him last year will surely be sucking on lemons now. Restored to his favoured position behind the striker, Barkley has returned to the form that left English mouths watering with excitement. His displays for Everton  have been scintillating and he was terrific against Estonia, grabbing an assist and putting in a man of the match performance. The skills and the attacking flair has returned to his game and England will need every bit of it in France.

1. Raheem Sterling

Raheem Sterling became the most expensive teenager in the world when he signed for Manchester City in a £49 million deal from Liverpool. Many say he’s over-rated, but City aren’t stupid. They know they’ve got a real talent on their hands and in today’s world, especially with the owners City have, money means nothing. See talent, buy talent. Before singing for the Mancunian club, Sterling had been a massively important player for Liverpool. So much so that no matter how much trouble he had off the field, he would still start every game. Such was their desperation after already letting Luis Suarez leave for Barcelona.

Sterling is blessed with talent this country hasn’t seen in quite a while. He may not be the strongest bloke around, but boy can he play football. It’s been quite a while since England has seen a good dribbler and they’ve suddenly been blessed with an overflow of it. When Sterling goes on a mazy run, there’s no catching up to him. He’s not just incredibly fast, he’s incredibly fast on the ball as well. A little jink here, a little drop of the shoulder there, Sterling really is the most talented young English player at the moment. He offers so much to England’s attack and can cross as well. There are people who talk about his woeful finishing, but he’s doing his best to sort that out as well. 2 goals in 8 appearances for Manchester City this season is pretty decent for a winger.

Sterling was awarded the Golden boy award in 2014 for being the best U-21 in the world. His private life may not be all that private, but if he can take all the talent he has been blessed with to France and put it to good use, everything apart from football would be deemed irrelevant.