Fabián Ruiz named SOCAR Player of the Tournament

Fabián Ruiz has been named SOCAR Player of the Tournament for his performances over the past fortnight.

• Every man of the match at U21 EURO

The Spain No6 struck a sublime opening goal in the final against Germany for his second strike of the tournament, before his second-half shot ultimately led to Dani Olmo doubling the lead. Overall, the Napoli midfielder served up three assists at the finals to help La Rojita claim their fifth title.

"I'm delighted to have won the award, but winning the tournament was more important," said Fabián Ruiz. "We started badly against Italy, and things were difficult and we had to beat Poland by more than three goals. But the side was confident, and we deserved to be champions.

"The key has been to be together – we've got a great team spirit. We had to give our best. Germany are a great side and we had to suffer together. They're great players, but the 2-0 [lead] gave us peace of mind and confidence, and I think we are deserved winners."

The SOCAR Player of the Tournament was selected by UEFA's team of technical observers, who were looking for players to display exceptional skills, make decisive contributions, show a positive attitude and, crucially, dedicate their individual abilities to the collective efforts of their team.

UEFA's team of technical observers in Italy comprised the following coaches from around Europe:

Peter Rudbæk, Denmark
Mixu Paatelainen, Finland
Thomas Schaaf, Germany
John Peacock, England
Dany Ryser, Switzerland
Ginés Meléndez Sotos, Spain