2) Ondrej Duda (Slovakia)
Club – Legia Warsaw (Polish Ekstraklasa)
Position – Attacking Midfielder
Ondrej Duda is a rising star in the Polish top division, who helped his side win the Ekstraklasa last season. It was the club’s 11th Ekstraklasa title, a record. Duda, just 21-years-old, contributed 5 goals and 9 assists for the club during the season, across all competitions.
Widely tipped to be the creative successor to present national team star, Napoli’s Marek Hamsik, Duda, who has 11 caps for Slovakia, has a keen eye for a pass and the creativity to unlock even the tightest of defences.
Duda will feature in group B alongside England, Russia and Wales. Slovakia are expected to finish no higher than 3rd behind England and Wales, and ahead of Russia, but Duda and Slovakia could still get a ticket into the knockout rounds if they finish among the best four 3rd place teams.