Robin to Zlatan Ibrahimovic's Batman with Sweden, a Chelsea and Arsenal target pulling the strings for Italy and a Polish winger lighting up the Championship for Wayne Rooney's …

A major international tournament is a huge opportunity for players on the fringes of stardom to announce themselves as the main attraction.

Renato Sanches starred for Portugal and won Young Player of the Tournament in 2016 a Fernando Santos’ side won the trophy and it earned the midfielder a move to Bayern Munich.

What a delayed Euro 2020 has done is buy some of Europe’s most exciting young players more time. 

Renato Sanches was crowned Best Young Player at Euro 2016 and it got him a move to Bayern

Another season under their belts, attention from Europe’s elite is intensifying and they will all be under no illusions that a stand-out tournament can see their value rocket.

Naturally, there will plenty of attention on Spain, Portugal, Italy and England but do not sleep on some of the so-called ‘smaller’ nations to see real talent.

From Eljif Elmas at North Macedonia to a Derby County midfielder looking to shine for Paulo Sousa’s Poland, Sportsmail picks out 10 young players ready to catch the eye… 

Nuno Mendes (Portugal)

Age: 18 Club: Sporting Lisbon 

The only teenager on this list, Mendes is ready-made for the bright lights and if he does start to get blinded, it’s not bad having Cristiano Ronaldo to call on for advice this summer.

The Sporting Lisbon left back appears to have the trust of Santos in the national team set-up and Mendes will expect to be given ample opportunities this summer.

His £63million release clause will not put off any of Europe’s elite if he separates himself from the rest of the full-backs on show.

Nuno Mendes (left) is just 18 but is playing well beyond his teenage years for club and country

Mendes appears to suit a wing-back role more than full-back but, no bother, he is comfortable in possession, has good speed to his game and is very attack-minded which will help keep Portugal on the front foot. 

He needs to work on increasing his assist total – he has just one goal and one assist in 25 league games this season – but all he needs is a purple patch this summer to convince.

Manchester United, Manchester City and Liverpool are all reported to be interested – the rest is up to him.

Myron Boadu (Holland)

Age: 20 Club: AZ Alkmaar

Were it not for Covid-19 cutting short last season’s Eredivisie, Boadu may well have had a winners’ medal around his neck.

In the end they just missed out but it was not down to the attacker’s contribution.

Boadu finished 2019-20 with 14 goals and eight assists in 24 league games. He added six goals in the Europa League. 

Twelve goals and two assists this season in all competitions is a drop off but he still remains right there on the cusp of making Frank de Boer’s Oranje squad this summer. 

Myron Boadu is being challenged to be selfish in front of goal if he is to thrive for Holland

Six goals in his last eight league matches shows he is finding form at just the right time and one of the criticisms at Alkmaar is that he is not selfish enough, too often kindly deferring to team-mates.

The key now is his attitude. He was told last summer just how much Europe’s top clubs wanted him – AC Milan are reportedly very keen on him – and he would do well to follow the advice of AZ Alkmaar’s finest.

Alkmaar’s all-time leading scorer Kees Kist told Dutch newspaper De Telegraaf in January, when quizzed on Boadu’s drop-off this season: ‘Myron has to show more character, show more guts and poison. There is no fanaticism. He must be much sharper.’ 

Andreas Skov Olsen (Denmark)

Age: 21 Club: Bologna

When Skov Olsen came off the bench to score a brace against Austria last month, there was suddenly a flurry of Google searches made for the young winger from Hillerød, Denmark.

Those of Serie A are familiar with the 21-year-old from his time with Bologna, working under Sinisa Mihajlovic, but few outside of the Italian football cognoscenti are all that familiar with his game.

Just two goals and two assists in Serie A this season is little to gloat about but he will unquestionably be in attendance for the Euros this summer having made a lasting impression for Denmark.

Andreas Skov Olsen is a dark horse for breakout star of the tournament with Denmark

Three goals in five games has shown his natural adaptation to the international game and now the challenge is: give us more, take the team on your back to ease the burden on players like Christian Eriksen.

It helps that national team boss Kasper Hjulmand worked with him previously and there is a growing sense in Scandinavia that a star could well be born in this tournament.

‘I’ve known him for a long time,’ Hjulmand said after Skov Olsen’s Austria brace. ‘I know what he can do. I have seen him grow and he is going to grow further from here.’ 

An exciting talent most definitely.  

Alexander Isak (Sweden)

Age: 21 Club: Real Sociedad 

The Robin to Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s Batman.

For all his quirks – and his undoubted God-complex – there are few better teachers and strike partners to show you the ropes like the AC Milan star.

However, with Ibrahimovic ruled out of this summer’s Euros, the hopes now rests on the young shoulders of Isak. 

Name any top club in Europe and they will be following Isak’s progress. Everyone is – and it’s for good reason.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic (right) serves as a key mentor in unlocking…