With Euro 2016 just passed, the likes of Antoine Griezmann, Cristiano Ronaldo and Dimitri Payet have stolen the headlines and offered us a mesmerising spectacle.
We’re going to take a look at the players who went under the radar throughout the tournament, who were driving forces for their national sides but didn’t reap the pleasures of the limelight.
Joe Allen – Wales
No I m not going to mention that god awful title he has been given, but when Allen is with his national side, you have to admit he rings that name, maybe on a small scale. Being overshadowed by the brand that is Gareth Bale and Aaron Ramsay, Allen provides the Welsh team with passing consistency and is able to dictate their tempo in midfield.
This is testament to his three pass assists and a goal against Russia in their 3-0 group win.
The 26-year-old has a year remaining on his contract at Liverpool and I wouldn’t be surprised if he has a new club after the World Cup, regardless if Wales qualify.
William Carvalho – Portugal
Carvalho was an important figure in Portugal’s defensive ranks. Deployed as a No.6 in Fernando Santos’ beguiling rendition of the 4-4-2 formation, Carvalho swept up well in front of his central defenders. He featured five times in the tournament with a passing accuracy rate of 92 per-cent and he was pivotal in fluidity of the Portuguese midfield.
The young midfielder deserved the tournament win and is no doubt gaining the attention of the elite clubs around the world.
Bacary Sagna – France
The 33-year-old French veteran was an important part of a flamboyant attacking France setup. The full-back played every single minute of France’s campaign providing an assist for Antoine Griezmann’s header against Ireland.
He possessed great pace in a team that boasted it in abundance where he put in 24 crosses and recovered possession 27 times during the tournament. The full-back has one year remaining on his Manchester City contract. He stated his international career will be over soon and his replacement will have some big shoes to fill.
Kamil Grosicki – Poland
The Polish winger from Stade Rennes in France caused havoc to defenders throughout the summer with his trembling pace, agility and intricate dribbling. He did not play a full 90 minutes in the group stage but featured in their Last 16 minutes against Switzerland and quarter-final against Portugal.
His ability to be used as an outlet for the counter-attack was shown when he ran half the length of the pitch to cut in, breaking ankles along the way and setup Jakub Błaszczykowski’s goal against Switzerland. He also provided the assist for Robert Lewandowski’s opener in the quarter final against Portugal.
The 28-year-old has been rumoured for a move to England with Everton and West Ham being interested in the player. Italian Serie A club Fiorentina are also rumoured to have approached the winger as his Polish teammate Jakub Błaszykowski currently plays for La Viola.
Alessandro Florenzi – Italy
When Lazio winger Antonio Candreva suffered an injury after their opening game against Belgium, Alessandro Florenzi was given the honours of replacing the 29-year-old. Putting in a great shift at the tournament, Florenzi offered himself as an outlet in attack but also effective for defensive cover. He was an important part of Antonio Conte’s 3-5-2 formation.
The 25-year-old was a workhorse on the right, clocking up an average of 9.8 kilometres run in the four games he featured in. The Italian has gained a reputation for himself recently, performing well for AS Roma in the Serie A and UEFA Champions League where he was nominated for the prestigious Puśkas Award for his wondergoal against FC Barcelona.
Who else impressed you who flew under the radar?
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