From Luis Figo to Mark Hateley, from Andrea Pirlo to Klaas-Jan Huntelaar and Juan Mata: the European Under-21 Championship has a long tradition of presenting gems with a bright future to the world. The 2013 edition in Israel is sure to be no different. Inside Futbol run the rule over eight possible golden players of the current crop.

Nir Biton – Defensive Midfielder – Israel – 21 years old

Already a veteran in the Israeli top flight with Ashdod, it took only 39 minutes for this solid and aggressive defensive midfielder to pick up his first yellow card on his professional debut. Biton’s long range shots are as dangerous as his tackles though, while his cold-blooded composure on the pitch will be vital for the “on-paper-minnows” to go beyond their limits and survive the group stage.

Markus Henriksen – Midfielder – Norway – 20 years old

The son of former Norway international Trond Henriksen has already been capped 16 times for the Norwegian national side, with who he scored his first goal last September, an equaliser in a 2-1 win over Slovenia in a 2014 World Cup qualifier. With a positive personality and pacey runs down the right, Henriksen is the undisputed leader in a squad “that have learned to leave egos outside the door”, as coach Tor Ole Skullerud has said. After four seasons with Rosenborg, last summer he joined AZ Alkmaar, winning this season’s Dutch Cup.

Lewis Holtby – Midfielder – Germany – 22 years old

With starlets like Ilkay Gundogan, Mario Gotze, Julian Draxler, Toni Kroos and Andre Schurrle all picked by coach Joachim Low for Germany’s national team, Holtby has become the leader of the pack for Under-21 boss Rainer Adrion. Originally deployed as an attacking midfielder, once he joined Tottenham Hotspur, Holtby showed he was even more comfortable playing in a deeper role. Germany however need his quality in this tournament in the hole behind the striker, combined with his nose for goal, to give a talented but less experienced team (compared to the other sides in Group B) a chance of going further in the competition.

Rodrigo Moreno – Striker – Spain – 22 years old

Rodrigo has so far scored more goals (14) than matches played (12), already becoming Spain Under-21s’ top goalscorer of all-time. The Brazil-born talent was the top scorer in the qualifiers too, netting eleven goals from ten games, with a four-goal haul against Denmark and hat-tricks against Georgia and Estonia respectively. Playing for Spain Under-21s has become a family affair for the Benfica striker, as he is the cousin of midfield maestro Thiago Alcantara.

Riccardo Saponara – Attacking Midfielder/Winger – Italy – 21 years old

A technically gifted midfielder, Saponara had an outstanding season with Empoli in Italy’s Serie B, leading the Tuscany-based side to the play-off final – lost against Livorno. Originally deployed as a winger, last summer Saponara was switched into a central position behind the strikers, with excellent results. It is however expected that Italy coach Devis Mangia will move him onto the flanks once more in Israel, opting for the solid pair of Marco Verratti and Luca Marrone in the centre of midfield. After the tournament Saponara will join AC Milan.

Oleg Shatov – Attacking Midfielder – Russia – 22 years old

While Alan Dzagoev is widely known as Russia’s next big thing, few seem to have noticed the quality of one of the best performing players in the 2012/13 Russian Premier League season. Shatov joined Anzhi Makhachkala from Ural Ekaterinburg for an extremely cheap sum, compared to the amount lavished for players like Samuel Eto’o and Willian. And his tactical awareness has become vital for the balance of Anzhi’s attack-minded midfield. The European Under-21 Championship could finally put this late blooming talent in the spotlight.

Kevin Strootman – Midfielder – Holland – 23 years old

Having been capped 18 times by Holland, Strootman is expected to lead an ambitious Oranje outfit to the semi-finals at least. In 2010, he was Sparta Rotterdam’s leader of the pack despite being just 19, and decided to stay with the club even after they were relegated to the second division. In 2011, Strootman joined Utrecht in the Eredivisie and it then took him only 40 days to make his Holland debut. After a tough season spent with his mentor Mark van Bommel in the centre of midfield at PSV Eindhoven, this all-action midfielder is ready for a big competition.

Connor Wickham – Striker – England – 20 years old

With five goals in the last eight games, the Sunderland striker finds himself amongst the most prolific in Israel. However, despite Wickham’s impressive performances at various levels of international football with England – he also scored the winning goals in the 2010 UEFA European Under-17 Championship final – he has failed to make the breakthrough in the Premier League so far. After two unimpressive seasons with Sunderland, the 20-year-old needs to give his career a boost. This tournament could be a good starting point.

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