Euro 2020 has so far been a roller coaster ride with loads of young talent and expert veteran presence on the pitch. As the tournament braces for the Semi-Finals, The Scouting App has collated a list of young prodigies who have the potential to reach heights in their respective careers.
Mikkel Damsgaard – 20
Danish midfielder Mikkel Damsgaard has been one of Denmark’s best youth talents in recent years. The 20-year-old Sampdoria winger has so far impressed at Euro 2020, having missed his nation’s opening day encounter vs Finland. Christian Eriksen’s unfortunate absence from the second match-day onwards granted the Nordsjælland youth product playing time, which he made total use of.
He started the crucial encounter against Belgium in match-day 2 – helping Denmark put up a fantastic football display in the first half, before being ousted by Kevin de Bruyne and co. in the second half. Perhaps his stand-out performances came more recently in match-day 3 and in the Round of 16. In the third game against Russia, Damsgaard made the headlines with a thundering effort from long range in a 4-1 victory. He then provided the assist for Denmark’s first goal against Wales in the last 16 knockout stage.
His technicality and creativity have allowed him to display what he’s worth. The Danish SuperLiga Young Player of the Year has seen a breakthrough year on the international stage and looks like he is only going from strength to strength as the competition progresses.
Christoph Baumgartner – 21
Austria gave Italy a run for their money in the Round of 16 clash and ultimately gave way to the Azzurri for a spot in the Quarter Finals. Their run in Euro 2020 has been impressive – as they dispatched Ukraine and North Macedonia in the group stages. Top-quality national teams such as Netherlands and Italy proved too hot to handle but, nonetheless, their young prodigy Baumgartner displayed resilience and strength throughout the tournament.
He scored Austria’s solitary goal vs Ukraine and, in subsequent matches, he linked up extremely well with David Alaba on the left flank – a strategy used brilliantly by manager Franco Foda. The Hoffenheim midfielder is a creative attacker with a keen eye for key passes and positional play, and certainly one to watch out for in the future. The 21-year-old is the future of Austrian football.
Ethan Ampadu – 20
Ethan Ampadu might remember Euro 2020 for his red card against Italy – which made him the youngest player in the European Championship to have been sent off – but the talent is undoubtedly the future of Welsh football. Although he featured partly in the tournament, Ampadu was fantastic on the ball as long as he was involved in the game. He came on as a substitute in Wales’ first two games in the tournament – the draw against Switzerland and then the 2-0 win over Turkey. His outing in match-day 3 – the only game in which he started as part of the back three – ended rather unfortunately as he was sent off for a challenge on Juventus’ Federico Bernardeschi. Ampadu possesses the ability to lead Wales from the back but the Chelsea center-back has a long way to go before he can claim to be a regular starter.
Ryan Gravenberch – 19
The Netherlands were treated to a masterclass in the Round of 16 as they crashed out in an untimely manner against the Czechs. Nevertheless, the tournament for the Dutch was a silver lining regarding their youth potential – one of which is 19-year-old Ajax midfield talent Ryan Gravenberch. The versatile midfielder-cum-defender did not appear in the first match-day thriller vs. Ukraine, but he was used in the next match against Austria. Frank de Boer started Gravenberch in central midfield in the 3-0 victory over North Macedonia, performing commendably throughout the match.
He did not feature in the Round of 16 loss. He was awarded the inaugural “Abdelhak Nouri Trophy” in 2018 – which recognizes the Ajax academy’s best talent and has since gone from strength to strength in establishing himself as a first-team starter.
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