#5 Tomas Rosicky
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Tomas Rosicky made a unique record against Spain during their opening encounter of Euro 2016. He became the oldest player to have played for the Czech Republic at the European Championships, having become the youngest to do so, 16 years ago.
Rosicky was the galvanising force in midfield for the Czech Republic in 2004 when they reached the semi-finals. Touted by many to be frontrunners for the tournament that year, they were eliminated in the semis by Greece, courtesy a silver goal in extra time.
That team boasting the likes of Pavel Nedved, Karel Poborsky and Marek Jankulovski was heavily reliant on Rosicky to provide dynamism and inspiration in midfield. 12 years on, injuries have taken their toll on the Czech stalwart.
While still a mesmerising sight at his imperious best, lengthy spells on the treatment table have left him a shade of what he was a decade ago.
Yet Rosicky, the flamboyant midfielder, has been replaced to a large extent by Rosicky the fighter. As he showed against Spain, he lasted a full 88 minutes against the defending champions whose midfield is the stuff of envy of other teams.
He scrapped and fought for all 50-50 balls and provided sparks of brilliance in between. At 35 Rosicky is no longer capable of pulling the strings for the Czech Republic. However, as the senior statesman in the outfield, added responsibility lies on his shoulders, to rally and motivate the younger players around him.
