#5 Leonardo Bonucci (Italy)
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Undoubtedly the best defender to grace the Euros this summer, Leonardo Bonucci has really impressed with his near-perfect defending at the heart of Italy's three-man rearguard.
In particular, against Belgium and Sweden, the 29-year-old centre back was a pillar of coolness as he surveyed the landscape sitting in front of him, often repelling the dangers which came his way. Bonucci is no stranger to performing at the highest levels of the game as he plies his trade with Juventus in the Serie A but he has still really impressed with the manner of consistency.
A lesser player could have entered into the competition with fatigue and faded away, but not the Bianconeri centre-half. He has maintained focus and kept his high standards within reach.
It’s easy to imagine that a full-strength Azzurris will push anyone close, especially with such a great platform at the back, led by Bonucci. Indeed, he isn’t just a one-dimensional player in his position, and it has been his versatility and proactive nature which has allowed him to stand head and shoulders above every other back on show.
Afer all, it was his delicious, inch-perfect pass from deep which set Emanuele Giaccherini on his way to netting their first-half goal against Belgium in their first match of the current campaign. The fact he doesn’t just cut out passes and clear balls away to safety means that he is perfect for the counter-attacking system Italy like to play; his ability to pick a pass means the Italians can transform defence to attack in a couple of swift decisions. Brilliant.
