The five Red Devils who could shine at Euro 2016

There are plenty of Manchester United players on show at the Euros this summer. 

 Here are the five who could really have a big impact:

Anthony Martial (France) 

Martial has proven himself as one of the finest young talents in Europe. His pace and dribbling ability have terrorised Premier League defences, and he has shown a cool head in front of goal.

It is no wonder that the French manager Didier Deschamps has earmarked Martial as one of the lynchpins of France’s forward line. The twenty-year-old looked lively in recent friendly matches, and he is likely to start alongside Giroud and Griezmann in a fearsome front three. 

Euro 2016 could be where Martial truly announces himself on the world stage.

Wayne Rooney (England) 

Wayne Rooney has become used to carrying the weight of a nation on his shoulders (as well as the brunt of the criticism). Despite some questioning his starting place, he is set to lead England once again. As the captain and all-time top scorer, Rooney will be a crucial figure in the England team. 

Rooney will be encouraged with his form in the latter half of the season. Despite starting poorly, he picked up confidence and more goals towards the end of the campaign. Furthermore, his exploits in central midfield show that Rooney could be a versatile option for England. 

At the age of 31, this could be Rooney’s last tournament for his country. Can he end it on a high-note?

Bastian Schweinsteiger (Germany) 

Schweinsteiger’s season has been disrupted by injuries. He hasn’t appeared for United since March. 

This had put serious doubts around his involvement at Euro 2016.

However, Joachim Löw has persisted with his captain. Schweinsteiger is a German legend, pivotal in the World Cup victory two years ago, and he has a total of 114 international caps. His big match experience and leadership are vital qualities for the German camp.

Schweinsteiger is now regaining match fitness, and he looks set to be central to Germany’s European bid.

Chris Smalling (England) 

England’s defence has been a constant area of worry. Multiple centre backs have auditioned for the national side and looked less than convincing. It is perhaps a blessing, then, that Chris Smalling has established himself as a quality defender this season.

He has been assured and authoritative for Manchester United, and England have looked a lot more solid with him on the pitch.

In order for England to progress at this tournament, they will need to be able to shut out the top teams. This will depend largely on Smalling replicating his club exploits for his country.

David de Gea (Spain)

There are few better goalkeepers in the world than de Gea right now. He has been flawless, and fully deserved his third-straight Manchester United Player of the Year award.
 

It may come as a surprise, then, that de Gea is not certain to start in goal for Spain. Iker Casillas is currently captain, and has been first choice since 2002. 

Casillas is a legend, but his error-prone performances in the 2014 World Cup show that he may be past his best. With de Gea in goal, Spain would prove virtually impregnable. 



This is a guest post by Sathesh Alagappan.

You can continue the discussion here by commenting below. 

Or via his Twitter handle @sathesh1992