Five starlets who could steal the Euro 2020 stage: Richard Buxton

PEDRI

(Spain, midfielder, 18 years old, 4 caps)

Any player who gives Lionel Messi an added reason to stay at Barcelona is truly special.

Pedri's ability to adapt to various tactical set-ups with ease saw him become the first player since Arturo Vidal to feature more than 50 times in a debut campaign at the Nou Camp. He made 52 appearances.

So mindful were club and country to ensure he was ready for Euro 2020, Pedri was allowed an early off-season break, which denied him an ever-present status for Barca.

If Luis Enrique is intent on replicating the unbridled dominance of La Roja's teams who claimed successive European Championships in 2008 and 2012, an 18-year-old that plays with the style, vision and maturity of Andres Iniesta is a good starting point.

PHIL FODEN

(England, forward, 21 years old, 6 caps)

Memories of Euro 1996 will come flooding back for misty-eyed England fans this week.

Football never did come home 25 years ago, but they have reasons to believe that a repeat of the semi-final run, and possibly more, is firmly on the cards.

Paul Gascoigne's last appearance at a major tournament continues to be reminisced about and, in Foden, an heir to the madcap playmaker's throne may have finally been unearthed.

Watching the 21-year-old ripping up the English Premier League with Manchester City last term offered proof of just how far he has come.

The newly crowned PFA Young Player of the Year represents Gareth Southgate's best hope of unlocking defences and laying to rest the ghosts from a quarter-century ago.

JAMAL MUSIALA

(Germany, midfielder, 18 years old, 2 caps)

Southgate could still rue the one that got away if Germany are able to negotiate their way out of the "Group of Death" and set up a round-of-16 meeting with England.

Before agreeing to represent Die Mannschaft, Musiala had been the subject of an international tug-of-war, having turned out for England up to Under-21 level.

His decision to walk away from a potential pathway into the first team at Chelsea, too, has been swiftly vindicated by forcing his way into the reckoning with Bayern Munich.

The youngest player in the four-time world champions' squad can bring some much-needed dynamism to a team who are still heavily reliant on their ageing class of 2014.

MIKKEL DAMSGAARD

(Denmark, forward, 20 years old, 3 caps)

Comparisons with Danish legend Michael Laudrup underline the lofty expectations which are being placed on Damsgaard as Denmark bid to repeat their Euro 1992 exploits.

Scoring twice and assisting another two goals in an 8-0 trouncing of Moldova during World Cup qualifying has only heightened the hype surrounding the Sampdoria winger.

Claudio Ranieri used Damsgaard sparingly during his debut Serie A campaign, which saw him make 18 top-flight starts and average around 50 minutes over his 35 appearances.

A keen eye for long-range efforts, in addition to cutting inside from the left, means Damsgaard has the potential to be used as an impact substitute at Euro 2020.

NUNO MENDES

(Portugal, defender, 18 years old, 4 caps)

Having won the Portuguese league title with Sporting Lisbon, Mendes' star is rapidly on the rise.

He turns 19 on June 19, when Portugal face Germany in Group F and is fast attracting admiring glances from the EPL's great and good, as shown by both Manchester City and Manchester United's reported interest in the holders' left-back.

Sporting shipped just 20 goals in 34 games with Mendes in their side as they clinched a first Primeira Liga title since 2002, while he also made some notable contributions in attack.

If he can reproduce that form at Euro 2020, his 70 million euro (S$112.9m) release clause will be comparatively small change.