Big football tournaments are always full of surprises, and this year’s Euros has been no different. Having only just kicked off, we’ve seen surprise line-ups, surprise scores and a great selection of anticipation and support from the fans. If you’re looking to try your luck by guessing the scores throughout the Euros, try out the Ladbrokes football score predictor. With some surprising team line-ups this year, and with some surprise players being left out, we’ve put together a list of the most surprising call ups for the Euro 2016 tournament.
Marcus Rashford (England)
At Christmas last year, this young star struggled to even make it into the under 21s team at Manchester United, but suddenly he is now a part of England’s Euro squad. Although Wales manager Chris Coleman didn’t see it as a surprise, it certainly came as a shock to the player and to many of the England fans too. The 18 year old had only just made it into the Manchester United first team after an injury to Anthony Martial and his career has continued to shoot upwards ever since. History has told the tale many a time with the likes of Pele who stole the show in the 1958 World Cup in Sweden at just 17, and Wayne Rooney and Cristiano Ronaldo doing the same in 2004. It’ll be interesting to see whether Rashford can handle the pressure of the international stage and make his mark in history even more.
Milan Škriniar (Slovakia)
Many people were shocked to see Škriniar included in the Slovakian team, as the young player had only made his Slovakian debut 3 days before being picked for the Euro 2016 squad. Although he is physically imposing on the pitch, his experience is quite limited, as he joined Sampdoria in Italy in January but has only made three appearances. The 21 year old, however, has been trusted to create a solid back line for the Slovakian side as they face world class goal scorers throughout the tournament.
Tomas Rosicky (Czech Republic)
Rosicky was a surprise call up for many reasons for the Cech side, but mainly due to him having played just 19 minutes of competitive football all season at Arsenal. Nevertheless, the veteran midfielder started for the Czech side in their 1-0 defeat against Spain in their first match of the group stages and Spain’s Hector Bellerin believed before the match that Rosciky was an underestimated player that should be feared. The Arsenal player has now been let go after a 10-year stint at the club and it’ll be interesting to see where he will end up next season.
Mariusz Stępiński (Poland)
Despite having a fantastic youth career after representing Poland at every level and playing a key role in the under-17 European Championship semi-final in 2012, Stępiński didn’t quite deliver what everyone was expecting throughout the start of his senior career. Stępiński scored just five goals in his two seasons at Widzew Łódz and just two in 25 appearances for Wisła Kraków. However, last season is where he came to life as the goal scorer that he was known for throughout his youth career, and although he might not get to play many games due to first choice strikers Robert Lewandowski and Arkadiusz Milik, when he does get his chance to play he might make a good backup for the country.
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