21 June 2023 , 05:00
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As England and their rivals prepare to begin their European Under-21 Championship campaigns, many players will see the competition as a chance to announce themselves to the world.
Lee Carsley's Young Lions will kick off their campaign against the Czech Republic on Thursday, with further group games against Israel and Germany to follow. A number of players with Premier League experience have made the squad, including Nottingham Forest playmaker Morgan Gibbs-White and Liverpool's homegrown talent Curtis Jones.
In previous years, plenty of youngsters have showcased their abilities in this tournament before going on to bigger and better things. Here, Mirror Football looks at seven of those who starred with the eyes of Europe on them.
Royston Drenthe
The Netherlands were on fire in 2007, but their star men had mixed careers after the tournament. While Ryan Babel went on to play plenty of Champions League football, top scorer Maceo Rigters had a tough time in England and wound up retiring before the age of 30.
Player of the tournament Drenthe, meanwhile, had a bit of both. The Feyenoord winger's performances earned him a move to Real Madrid, with compatriot Wesley Sneijder joining in the same window, but both struggled to establish themselves in Spain.
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Royston Drenthe was The Netherlands' star man in 2007 (Getty Images Sport)Drenthe had a nomadic career after leaving Madrid - via a loan in the Premier League with Everton. However, he will always have that tournament, where his performances down the left helped the Jong Oranje go all the way.
Mesut Ozil
The next man signed by Real Madrid after an impressive Under-21 display did rather better for Los Blancos. Perhaps the white shirt suited Mesut Ozil after his efforts for Germany in 2009.
It was the year England reached the final for the only time in the 21st century. Thanks to Ozil's man-of-the-match display, though, Stuart Pearce's squad - headlined by the likes of Theo Walcott and Mark Noble - failed to land the trophy for the first time in 25 years.
Mesut Ozil scored as Germany beat England in the 2009 final (Getty Images)"Özil is hard to describe as a player," Germany under-21 boss Horst Hrubesch said early in the tournament, as later relayed by Bundesliga.com. "He has near-perfect skills, can play at pace and play on the left or right
"The only thing missing today was a goal, but I’m convinced he’ll have a good tournament. He’s an important player for the team and he’s one of the most perfect players I’ve ever had."
Xherdan Shaqiri
Switzerland weren't everyone's favourites for the 2011 tournament, but Shaqiri and his team-mates helped them post a perfect record before Spain got in the way in the final. He was one of four Basel players in the squad and all four went on to win senior caps.
Xherdan Shaqiri was man-of-the-match in Switzerland's semi-final win (Ian Walton/Getty Images)Fabian Frei and Granit Xhaka both showed their quality, but it was Shaqiri and goalkeeper Yann Sommer who made the team of the tournament. The pocket rocket scored the winner in the opening game of the tournament against hosts Denmark, and was named man-of-the-match for the semi-final victory over the Czech Republic.
The playmaker had little trouble converting his under-21 form to the senior stage. Only five players have more Switzerland goals than his 27, and he is one of just two Swiss players to deliver a World Cup hat-trick.
Thiago
Thiago was also part of the Spain squad in 2011. In 2013, though, he truly announced himself with a match-winning hat-trick against Italy in the final.
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Thiago scored a hat-trick in the 2013 final (Getty Images)Barcelona already knew what the midfielder could offer by this stage, as did Pep Guardiola - the manager took him to Bayern Munich that same summer. However, with Xavi and Andres Iniesta ahead of him in the queue, it was in the red of Spain where he could really play with freedom.
It was a Spain squad packed with future full internationals, as well as some who already had caps. Alvaro Morata top-scored and Isco stood out, but Thiago was *the* man in the final.
Bernardo Silva
A player on loan at Monaco from Benfica isn't the obvious candidate for a starring role, even at an Under-21 tournament. Eight years on, though, it is very easy to see why Bernardo Silva did just that.
Bernardo Silva impressed in a Portugal squad packed with talent (AFP via Getty Images)Portugal made it all the way to the final in 2015, beating England in the group stage and putting five past Germany in the semis. Bernardo scored the first of those five against a team including stars-in-the-making Joshua Kimmich and Marc-Andre ter Stegen, while team-mate William Carvalho also stood out.
Bernardo made his Monaco move permanent at the end of the season and thrived in their run to the Champions League semi-finals in 2017. Six years on, he finally secured a European club trophy as a Manchester City player.
Milan Skriniar
Slovakia were few people's tips to thrive in 2017, but victories over hosts Poland and holders Sweden saw them stun onlookers. Only goal difference denied them a knockout spot, but Skriniar's displays didn't go unnoticed.
Milan Skriniar's Slovakia almost made the semi-finals in 2017 (Tom Dulat - UEFA/UEFA via Getty Images)The centre-back was coming off a breakthrough Serie A season with Sampdoria, and already had senior caps for his country. Samp's domestic rivals Inter Milan wasted no time making a move, though, parting with a Slovak record fee for the defender.
Skriniar was just one of two players in the team of the tournament not to represent finalists Spain and Germany. He has shown the tournament was no flash in the pan, too, leading Inter to the 2023 Champions League final ahead of a summer move to Paris Saint-Germain.
Dani Olmo
Dani Olmo has kicked on with Spain's senior side since his 2019 exploits (GABRIELE MENIS/EPA-EFE/REX)Plenty of Spain players have thrived at Under-21 level, including 2017 Golden Boot winner Saul Niguez. However, most weren't playing in Croatia at the time of the tournanent.
Olmo joined Dinamo Zagreb from Barcelona's academy as a teenager and never looked back. He remained part of his country's thoughts at age-group level, and he scored the decisive goal in the 2019 under-21 final as Luis de La Fuente's side got revenge on reigning champions Germany.
Just a handful of games in the following season's Champions League helped convince RB Leipzig to make a move, and the playmaker has racked up more than 100 games for the German side. After playing for Spain's senior side at Euro 2020 and the 2022 World Cup, he is now back under the tutelage of De La Fuente - who replaced Luis Enrique after elimination from the latter tournament - and was part of the victorious 2023 UEFA Nations League side.