Ten to watch from U17 EURO in Croatia
Monday, May 22, 2017
Article summary
Three No9s, a marauding full-back from winners Spain and England's five-goal winger are among ten who caught UEFA.com's eye at the 2017 UEFA European Under-17 Championship.
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- Abel Ruiz level with José Gomes as all-time leading U17 EURO scorer
- France's Amine Gouiri takes Croatia 2017 top scorers' prize
- Jann-Fiete Arp scores quickest U17 EURO finals hat-trick
- Spot-on Spain claim record third U17 EURO title
Mateu Morey (right-back, Spain)
The Barcelona talent is as attacking as right-backs come. Morey give everyone a glimpse of his potential when he struck Spain's match-clinching goal in their Group A opener. He really came to the fore in the knockout stage, however, scoring a wonderful solo effort versus France and popping up in a centre-forward's position to level against England in the final.
Jonathan Panzo (centre-back, England)
The defender played in all 12 of England's games in the 2016/17 season. Tall, quick and comfortable in possession, Panzo formed a solid centre-back partnership with Chelsea club-mate Marc Guehi. The duo helped the Young Lions go 352 minutes without conceding between Guehi's unfortunate own goal in their first group fixture and Kerem Kesgin's low drive for Turkey in the semi-finals.
Ozan Kabak (centre-back, Turkey)
Ozan started and finished every match of Turkey's run to the last four. The Galatasaray stopper headed the Crescent Stars' crucial third in their group encounter with Croatia, just after the hosts had reduced their arrears to 2-1. He first demonstrated his eye for goal during the elite round in a 4-1 victory over Finland.
Phil Foden (midfielder, England)
The left-footer enhanced his burgeoning reputation. A substitute for Manchester City on UEFA Champions League matchday six in December, Foden was an authoritative presence in England's central three. His eye-of-a-needle pass for Sancho against Turkey was breath-taking; his long-range strike in the final so nearly secured a record third U17 EURO title for his country.
Elias Abouchabaka (attacking midfielder, Germany)
Leipzig's Abouchabaka proved a fine foil for lone forward Jann-Fiete Arp. The No10 registered three goals in Croatia, the most vital an equaliser against the Netherlands in the quarter-finals, taking his tally to eight in as many appearances for the campaign.
Yacine Adli (attacking midfielder, France)
A dead ringer for Marouane Fellaini, Adli offered up much of the ammunition for tournament top scorer Amine Gouiri. The Paris Saint-Germain player supplied five assists in his first three appearances, one of them for Gouiri's last-gasp strike against Scotland. He also got in on the scoring act himself, curling in a fine free-kick versus the Faroe Islands.
Jadon Sancho (winger, England)
The Manchester City tyro lit up the finals with his goalscoring and trickery. A crowd favourite, Sancho contributed at least one goal and/or assist in every match for the runners-up, the highlight a stylish display against Ukraine in which he set up the first two and then scored the third in a 4-0 success. Though Steve Cooper could never be pressed on his prized asset, there was no denying that Sancho was the jewel in the England crown.
Abel Ruiz (forward, Spain)
The No9 left Croatia with a winners' medal – 12 months after being on the losing side against Portugal in the final – and as the joint-top scorer in U17 EURO history, qualifying included. Barcelona's Ruiz added to his four goals in Baku in 2016 with another four this time, placing him in a tie for first with Gouiri and Odsonne Edouard on the finals' all-time list. But for a missed penalty against Germany, he would have been out on his own.
Amine Gouiri (forward, France)
Lethal. If there is one word to describe the Lyon striker then that is it. Gouiri scored with both feet, his head and had a turn of pace to boot, as was evident when he sped clear to put France ahead in their quarter-final loss to Spain. His seven goals in three outings before that was a joint record for any UEFA-final tournament group.
Jann-Fiete Arp (forward, Germany)
Arp is the only player to have netted two hat-tricks in one U17 EURO final tournament. His first, in a 5-0 defeat of Bosnia and Herzegovina, took only 13 minutes; the Hamburg player's second set up a joint finals record 7-0 triumph over the Republic of Ireland. His last-gasp winner against the Netherlands – a first-time finish following a partially cleared free-kick, having hitherto been quiet – was the epitome of a true goalscorer.