The 2022 UEFA Women's Euros is expected to be a wonderfully exciting and competitive tournament.
There are huge names in every single team, such as Ballon d'Or winners Ada Hegerberg and Alexia Putellas, as well as Denmark's Pernille Harder, who almost certainly would've picked up that accolade had it been awarded in 2020.
But there are also rising stars who look perfectly poised to announce themselves on the international stage.
Below, GOAL brings you everything you need to know about the NXGN-aged teenagers set to represent their countries in England this summer…
Icelandic FAAmanda Andradottir | Iceland
The youngest professional women's footballer in Iceland's history, Amanda Andradottir was just 15 years old when she decided to leave home and move to Denmark, joining one of the country's biggest clubs, Fortuna Hjorring.
She’s now in Sweden with Kristianstad, finding her feet in one of the best leagues in Europe for developing young players.
Andradottir’s senior Iceland debut came in late 2021, when she was still only 17. She’s been a fixture in Thorsteinn Halldorsson’s squads ever since, choosing to represent her country of birth despite also being eligible for Norway, whom she represented at youth level.
An attacking midfielder with great dribbling ability, an eye for goal and good vision, perhaps her stand-out trait is her incredible footwork, which allows her to dance past defenders with ease.
AdvertisementGettyEsmee Brugts | Netherlands
It was only in February that Esmee Brugts, ranked at No.12 in this year’s NXGN list, made her senior debut for Netherlands. To be included in Mark Parsons' squad for the UEFA Women's Euros just four months later, then, speaks volumes of the impression she has made.
“A very smart, creative player,” the head coach said of her in June. “She can dribble, pass, shoot, cross, defend – but it's the game insight and intelligence that I think we're going to be enjoying for a few years.”
Often found on the left wing, she can also play as an attacking midfielder and already has some big experiences under her belt, scoring in the Champions League, winning the Dutch Cup with PSV and playing in a number of tournaments with the Netherlands youth teams.
GettyAlicia Correia | Portugal
The youngest player in a Portugal squad that contains a number of teenage gems, Alicia Correia is a fine example of a modern-day left-back.
The 18-year-old shows great initiative to get forward but also works incredibly hard to track back and honour her defensive duties, with her speed allowing her to balance both elements well.
Confident on the ball and in taking players on, Correia made her debut for Portugal's senior team in October 2020, aged 17, then signed her first professional contract with Sporting CP just a month later.
A name that not many outside of her home country will be familiar with just yet, it is certainly one to remember.
GettyHannah Eurlings | Belgium
Belgium has a lot of young talent to be excited about, but Hannah Eurlings may be the best of the lot.
The forward’s progression through the national team system has been accelerated by her ability, with her first involvements coming for the under-16s, aged 14, before she jumped straight from under-17 level to the senior side.
The OH Leuven star was only 17 when she made that international debut and she’s been a favourite of Ives Serneels' ever since, scoring three goals in just four starts so far in qualifying for the 2023 Women's World Cup.
Eurlings is a forward who plays with great freedom, which is evident in her tricky footwork when one-on-one with a full-back, but she also demands a lot from herself. Predominantly right-footed, she's still confident enough to shift onto her left where necessary when driving at defenders.