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New award for U21 EURO Player of the Tournament

UEFA has created a new award for the best player at the U21 EURO - and he will need to show exceptional skills, decisive action and commitment to the team to earn it.

The Player of the Tournament will be named on the night of the final
The Player of the Tournament will be named on the night of the final ©Sportsfile

The 276 footballers gaining precious experience at the U21 EURO in Poland are also competing for a prestigious, newly minted individual accolade.

UEFA has created a new award for the U21 EURO Player of the Tournament which will be presented to its first winner on the night of the final in Krakow on 30 June. It will be selected by UEFA's team of technical observers and handed over after the final.

In judging the award, UEFA will be looking for players to display exceptional skills, contribute to decisive actions, show a positive attitude and, crucially, dedicate their individual abilities to the collective efforts of their team.

Portugal's William Carvalho in action in 2015
Portugal's William Carvalho in action in 2015©Getty Images

The player of the tournament at past U21 EUROs received the accolade of 'Golden Player' but UEFA decided to create this new award as a more fitting recognition of their efforts. Portugal's William Carvalho was selected in 2015 and previous notable names on the list include Andrea Pirlo, Petr Čech and Juan Mata.

UEFA's team of technical observers here in Poland comprises the following coaches from around Europe:

Peter Rudbaek, Denmark
Mixu Paatelainen, Finland
Thomas Schaaf, Germany
Stefan Majewski, Poland
Dany Ryser, Switzerland
Ginés Meléndez Sotos, Spain

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