It is just over a week until Europe’s top footballers will have the chance to shine on the continent’s biggest stage.
In the lead up to the monumental tournament, the gang at is casting an eye over a key name from each of the 24 qualified teams. Beginning with Group A, the integral players include Romania’s Vlad Chiriches, Albania’s Elseid Hysaj, France’s Paul Pogba and Switzerland’s Xherdan Shaqiri.
26-year-old Chiriches will be the rock of a Romanian side which will be looking to their defence to carry them through a tough set of group fixtures. Having moved to Napoli at the beginning of 2015-16 for £4.5 million, he has found a consistent spot in the side which challenged for the Serie A title hard to come by, only making eight appearances. Yet in that short span there have been many positive signs, mainly his distribution from the back which was hardly ever off target. Chiriches also recorded a total of 17 interceptions, 23 successful aerial duels and 23 clearances.
Signed to Napoli at the same time as Chiriches, Albanian defender Hysaj had no problems slotting into Maurizio Sarri’s starting lineup, having played with the coach previously at Empoli. Playing in nearly every match of the side’s campaign, he won an impressive total of 69 tackles and also showed no fear to move up the wing, with 26 successful take-ons and 26 created chances.
Pogba and the rest of his Juventus teammates took time to hit their stride this time around, but it was only a matter of time before they would run away to a fifth straight Scudetto. The electrifying 23-year-old, who is subject to constant transfer rumour updates, reached new creative heights as the source of 54 chances on goal, including a total of 12 assists, while terrorising any defender in his path with 102 take-ons. Pogba also netted eight goals of his own from 124 individual shots during 35 outings.
Shaqiri’s transfer to Stoke City for a club record £12 million was intended to herald in a new era at the Britannia stadium, however, Mark Hughes’ side finished 2015-16 in the exact same spot the season prior. The Champions League winning playmaker perhaps still needed a bit of evolution from those around him, with his 50 chances created only resulting in six assists, while his personal efforts in front of goal were below-par. He will be looking to recapture the spark that made his move to the Premier League such high-profile news.
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