2017 Under-21 EURO Player of the Tournament: Dani Ceballos

Barely two weeks had elapsed since the U21 EURO when Dani Ceballos completed his move from Real Betis to Real Madrid – which tells you everything about the quality of his performances during the championship in Poland.

The midfielder's displays had been judged worthy of the Player of the Tournament prize by UEFA's team of technical observers at the finals, who were looking for players to show exceptional skills, make decisive contributions, have a positive attitude and, crucially, dedicate their individual abilities to the collective effort of the team. Ceballos ticked all the boxes.

Many inside the Krakow Stadium on the night of the final had assumed top scorer Saúl Ñíguez or majestic playmaker Marco Asensio would be vying for the accolade. Even after Spain's surprise defeat by Germany, they seemed the two favourites. Ceballos, though, had done enough in just 295 minutes of tournament football to be recognised ahead of his celebrated team-mates.

The 20-year-old began the finals as a substitute, coming on 63 minutes into Spain's opening 5-0 win against FYR Macedonia. That cameo prompted him to start – and play throughout – the 3-1 success over Portugal on matchday two. With his team already qualified, coach Albert Celades then made 11 changes for the last group fixture against Serbia; Ceballos was back on the bench.

However, the Andalusian missed only two minutes combined of the semi-final and final against Italy and Germany respectively. It was during these matches that he truly made his mark, showcasing his authority in possession, ability to dictate the tempo and eye for a pass that made him a key cog in a very slick Spanish machine.

That Celades's side eventually lost the final mattered not – Ceballos had announced himself quite resoundingly on the big stage. And Madrid had been watching.