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It seems that as football grows and becomes more accessible across the globe, the level of attention given to once unimportant competitions greatly increases, and that’s been the case with the upcoming Euro U21 Championship.

UEFA’s premier international youth tournament returns this summer to Italy as some of the world’s most promising and highly-rated youngsters go head-to-head to determine which nation has the best crop of young players, and this year’s edition is set to be epic!

A plethora of talent will descend into Italy, but out of the 12 teams and multitude of players plying their trade this summer, which of those make it into our U21 Euros best XI?

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Alex Meret (ITA)

Italy seems to be a nation blessed with incredible goalkeepers from Gianluigi Buffon to Dino Zoff. The Azzurri are never short of a quality man between the sticks and as Gianluigi Donnarumma takes the number one spot in the senior squad, a new name must emerge for the U21s, and that man is Alex Meret.

The Napoli shot-stopper managed to overtake David Ospina last season as first-choice for Carlo Ancelotti, and this summer Meret can make a real case for himself as a future Italy number one with a big performance in the tournament.

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Aaron Wan-Bissaka (ENG)

You know you must be doing something right when there’s outrage when you didn’t make the international senior team, and that’s been the case for Aaron Wan-Bissaka who travels to his first major competition in the England setup.

The right-back was a sensation for Crystal Palace last season, being one of the hardest full-backs in Europe to get past and in doing so winning the interest of Manchester United. Aidy Boothroyd will now be hoping for more of the same in Italy.

Jonathan Tah (GER)

It’s crazy to think that Jonathan Tah is still only 23 years old. The Bayer Leverkusen defender has been in the eye of European football fans for what feels like forever, yet the towering German remains eligible for the U21 tournament.

At 6 foot 4, Tah is a rock at the back and a big physical presence, and although he has yet to solidify a place in the Germany senior squad, the Leverkusen centre-back will be a handful for any who dare challenge him one-on-one.

Dario Maresic (AUS)

You know the name, you more than certainly have signed him on FIFA 19 Career Mode, but in real life, Dario Maresic is the next great hope for Austrian football, and there’s a good reason for that.

The Sturm Graz man is yet to turn 20 but that hasn’t stopped Maresic from playing over 80 times for the Austrian side. He has admitted his idol is Sergio Ramos and if the centre-half can go on to become even half the player the Real Madrid captain is, then Austria could have quite the defender on their hands.

Junior Firpo (SPA)

Originally born in the Dominican Republic, Junior Firpo could be the next full-back sensation to represent La Roja in the not so distant future.

The swashbuckling left-back had a breakout season last campaign for Real Betis and has attracted interest from the likes of Manchester City according to Sport via Sport Witness. At this rate, it would not be a surprise to see the Premier League champions or another suitor pay his reported €50m (£44m) release clause this summer.

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Robert Skov (DEN)

Not many players heading into this summer's Euros can boast a record as incredible as Robert Skov’s, and this competition could now provide the FC Copenhagen winger with the opportunity to really put his name in the spotlight.

The Danish attacker scored an incredible 32 goals and assisted another 10 in 48 games last season for Copenhagen, and if Skov leads his Denmark side far into the competition, many of Europe’s top teams may want to whip out the chequebook for the 23-year-old before the new campaign starts.

James Maddison (ENG)

Making the leap from the Championship to the Premier League can be hard for any player, but not for James Maddison, who just like Wan-Bissaka left England fans fuming when he wasn’t included in the UEFA Nations League squad.

Maddison was one of the most creative players in the English top-flight last term, fashioning out the most chances out of anyone in the Premier League. That clearly didn't go unnoticed, with Manchester United now said to be interested in his services. A good tournament and the number 10 could win suitors from beyond England.

Houssem Aouar (FRA)

He was labelled “incredible” by Pep Guardiola, and it’s very hard to disagree with the Man City boss when talking about the quality Houssem Aouar possesses. Undoubtedly, France will be hoping for big things from him this summer.

The latest in a long line of talented youngsters to make it at Lyon, Aouar is without question one of the  players heading to the Euros that could one day be in contention for world-class status.

Mikel Oyarzabal (SPA)

13 goals and four assists is a good record for any player in La Liga, even more so for a winger who is only just 22 and playing for Real Sociedad, but breaking down stereotypes is what Mikel Oyarzabal lives for.

The attacker has been a star for the Basque club since his breakout year in 2015, and since then Oyarzabal has been one of the most consistent sources of goals for Sociedad. He recently scored his first goal for the Spanish senior squad, and this summer the winger will be aiming to prove that's the level where he belongs.

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Luka Jovic (SER)

If you haven’t been living under a rock for the past few months, you’ll know who Luka Jovic is and what he’s all about, which means you also understand why Real Madrid shelled a staggering €65m (£57m) for the Serbian’s signature.

The striker has been one of the hottest names in football for the past 12 months; he can easily cement himself as one of the top attackers in European football with a bright showing in Italy and a strong campaign at the Santiago Bernabeu.

Moise Kean (ITA)

It takes a special player to become a regular at one of the biggest clubs in Europe at just 19 years old, but Moise Kean is starting to become just that after a more than impressive season with Juventus.

Cristian Ronaldo might have taken all the glory this campaign from the striker role, but the future of the Old Lady belongs firmly to Kean. His six goals in 13 games for Juve sealed the Turin-based side the Serie A title, and this summer Italy will be relying on their rising star to come up with the goods on home soil as he leads the line.

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