Euro 2012: Players to Watch - Yevhen Konoplyanka (Ukraine)

Yevhen Konoplyanka, a 22-year-old tricky winger, looks set to shine for his country as the home nation go marching towards quarterfinals after their win against Sweden.

Konoplyanka was Ukraine’s stand-out player in last summer’s U-21 European Championships.

Konoplyanka’s club side, Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk who are managed by ex-Spurs ‘gaffer’ Juande Ramos, are an exciting club with a great future – much like Konoplyanka himself.

He improved as a player after he was included in Ukraine’s U21 squad that traveled to Denmark for the UEFA U21 European Championships back in 2011.

Much like the German U-21 squad back in 2007 – a squad which included Real Madrid playmaker Mesut Özil – it prepared the players for Senior tournaments for the future, allowing promising players like Konoplyanka to grow further.

His experience in Denmark for Ukraine’s U-21 side will prove invaluable as he grows as a player.

As Monday’s game against Sweden began, I was thoroughly looking forward to watching left-winger Konoplyanka. His tricky, fast paced style of play is impressive – much like Czech Republic starlet Vaclav Pilar.

Dinamo Kiev player and fellow member of the U-21 squad that traveled to Denmark, Andriy Yarmolenko joined Konoplyanka in the Ukraine squad for Euro 2012. Both will, according to current Ukraine manager Oleg Blokhin, become huge players for Ukraine in the future.

Oleg Blokhin also, went onto state that both Konoplyanka and Yarmolenko will play a considerable part in this year’s Euro 2012, not only due to their obvious quality, but for the experience it provides them.

Komoplyanka has been described as the ‘Future of Ukrainian & Eastern European Football’, this has drummed up a wealth of interest from every league in Europe.

He remains happy at Dnipro, but in the future he – along with Andriy Yarmolenko’s – will take the step towards a more reputable league.

Barclays Premier League side Arsenal have been linked with Konoplyanka, as a possible replacement for ageing Andriy Arshavin, but rumors of German double-winning side Borussia Dortmund have also made the news, along with Liverpool and Bayern Munich.

At the moment, I think it’s imperative that Yevhen keeps his options open. At 22, he has a great future ahead of him, but he must be mature in his decision about the club he joins next. Borussia Dortmund would be a fantastic move for him.

With Shinji Kagawa exiting the German club, it allows Konoplyanka to get more game time. But, his focus should be on Ukraine’s Euro 2012 campaign for the moment.

Written by Llew DaviesFollow me on Twitter @LlewAFC