A team of Euro 2008 players who have caught the eye
Gianluigi Buffon (Italy)
His wonderful performances kept Italy in the competition longer than they deserved. Buffon gets the nod although it could have been Iker Casillas (he just had less to do in the tournament).
Sergio Ramos (Spain)
Excellent in defence and attack for the winners. Less error prone and more pacey than his defensive counterparts.
Pepe (Portugal)
A strong defender who looked classy and assured on the ball. He even weighed in with a goal.
Josip Simunic (Croatia)
The big centre-back was excellent at the heart of Croatia’s defence. Rarely put a foot wrong and provided Slaven Bilic with a solid foundation on which to build his team.
Youri Zhirkov (Russia)
Contrary to David Pleat’s assertion that he is a “Jerk-off”, this Russia full-back has looked lethal in attack and solid in defence, which is pretty much what you are looking for in a full-back.
Wesley Sneijder (Holland)
The main architect of the thrilling football we saw Holland produce earlier in the tournament.
Marcos Senna (Villarreal)
I have never rated him, but in this tournament he has been absolutely immense. The best holding midfielder I have seen on display.
Andrei Arshavin (Russia)
Banned for two matches, anonymous for one, but majestic in the other two. His stock has truly risen during the tournament and he has become one of the most sought after midfielders in Europe.
Arda Turan (Turkey)
The young Turk really impressed me during this tournament, as I have commented on a few times. I expect him to be Premier League-bound before too long. An exciting winger capable of creating chances for any side.
Roman Pavluchenko (Russia)
His goals hurt England in qualification and they helped Russia to progress in the tournament. The top clubs will be sitting up and taking notice.
David Villa (Spain)
The top scorer in the tournament and a striker who has shown his class at Euro 2008. Missed the final through injury, but his impact on Spain’s participation in it was obvious.
Just missing out: Aleksandr Anyukov, Carlos Puyol, Bastian Schweinsteiger, Michael Ballack, Hamit Altintop
Who’s in your XI?