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In a world without the COVID-19 pandemic, football fans around the world would be buzzing for the start of Euro 2020 right now.
Unfortunately, what should’ve been a truly outstanding international tournament has become another victim of the disease. UEFA announced back in March that the competition would be postponed until 2021, essentially ruining the summer for thousands of fans.
But while most people will have been disappointed by the tournament’s postponement, the extra year of preparation for Euro 2020 may turn out to be a blessing in disguise for some players.
Here are 5 players who could benefit from the postponement of Euro 2020.
#1 Harry Kane (England)
The top goalscorer during the Euro 2020 qualifying campaign with 12 goals, England captain Harry Kane would’ve been hoping to capture another Golden Boot this summer following his exploits at the 2018 World Cup.
However, prior to the tournament’s postponement, the idea of the Spurs striker even taking part at Euro 2020 was a question mark. Kane tore his hamstring on New Year’s Day, and by March he’d already missed three months of action.
There were suggestions that he could’ve returned in time for Euro 2020, but whether he’d have been fully match-fit would’ve been another question entirely.
And of course, England have a history when it comes to taking partially fit star players to tournaments following injuries. David Beckham and Wayne Rooney both attended World Cups half-fit after time on the shelf, and neither man had the expected impact on the fortunes of the Three Lions.
Now though, Kane should – theoretically at least – be able to go to Euro 2021 fully fit and back to his best. And if that’s the case, then Gareth Southgate’s side will feel much more confident about their chances. Kane has become England’s talisman over the past few years, and when he's in form, there aren’t many better strikers in Europe.
#2 Paul Pogba (France)
In a similar vein to Harry Kane, Paul Pogba would’ve been hoping to repeat his performances in the 2018 World Cup at Euro 2020. The French midfielder was outstanding during Les Bleus’ campaign two years ago, and helped them to win the trophy for the second time.
However, the Manchester United man has not enjoyed the most fruitful season at Old Trafford. An ongoing problem with an ankle injury initially sustained in August has meant that he’s made just 7 appearances in the 2019-20 campaign.
And when he has played, he hasn’t made much of an impact – scoring no goals and registering just 2 assists.
By the time the season was curtailed due to COVID-19, there was still no concrete timetable for his return to action. And more to the point, major question marks continued to swirl around his future in Manchester, with the Frenchman constantly linked with a move to Real Madrid or Juventus.
All of this would’ve added up to major worries about his contribution to France’s Euro 2020 hopes. But with the tournament now postponed until 2021, things should change for Pogba.
Not only will he hopefully have a full season under his belt by the time the tournament begins, but he could well have moved away from United. If that’s the case – or if he can get back to his best at Old Trafford – France will be able to call upon a truly world-class performer.
#3 Phil Foden (England)
It seems strange to name a player who has yet to earn a senior international call-up in a list of players who could benefit from Euro 2020’s postponement. But as anyone who’s followed his career thus far would tell you, Phil Foden isn’t just your average player.
The Manchester City midfielder has been tipped for future international stardom with England for years – even more so since he helped their U-17 side to a World Cup victory in 2017. But three years after that victory, the 20-year old has still not been called up to the senior side by Gareth Southgate.
The reason for this has always been pretty clear. Foden just hasn’t been offered enough first team football at the Etihad by Pep Guardiola to justify him a spot in the England squad. But slowly, that’s beginning to change.
The creative midfielder has only made 11 starts across all competitions this season, but that could change in 2020-21. Veteran David Silva is set to leave the Etihad in the summer – and it’s been suggested that Guardiola sees Foden as his ready-made replacement.
If that’s the case, and the youngster makes a big impact on the Premier League next season, there’s no reason why he can’t force his way into Southgate’s Euro 2021 plans.
His lack of game time would almost certainly have cost him a spot at the tournament had it taken place during this summer. But with Euro 2020 now taking place a year down the line, Foden could become one of the major beneficiaries of its postponement.
#4 Memphis Depay (Netherlands)
After struggling to make a mark at Manchester United a handful of years ago, Netherlands forward Memphis Depay has been able to bounce back. A move to Lyon has seen him finally reach the potential he showed all those years ago, and in the 2019-20 campaign, he’d scored 14 goals in his first 18 games.
However, his Euro 2020 hopes were thrown into doubt back in December. Memphis tore his anterior cruciate ligament in a match against Rennes, ending his campaign for Lyon in the worst way possible.
There were rumours that he could’ve returned in time for Euro 2020, but would the Netherlands have wished to take a chance on a player with so little game time under his belt? It seems unlikely.
With the tournament now postponed until the summer of 2021 though, Memphis has been thrown a lifeline. He’ll now have a full season to get back to his best form after his knee injury, assuming there are no long-term effects of course.
If he can recapture the form that he was showing in the early part of 2019-20, then there can be no doubt that he’s the man to lead the line for the Oranje next summer. And with exciting teammates such as Frenkie de Jong and Virgil van Dijk alongside him, he could help the Netherlands become real contenders to win the tournament.
#5 Eden Hazard (Belgium)
The summer of 2019 saw Eden Hazard finally receive the dream move he’d been after for years. The Belgian forward moved from Chelsea to Real Madrid for a fee of around €100m. Since then though, there could be an argument that Hazard’s dream has turned into a nightmare.
After suffering a thigh injury in pre-season, the Belgian has simply never really found his groove at the Bernabeu. Various injuries have kept the former Chelsea man on the sidelines, restricting him to just 15 appearances overall.
And to make matters worse, his professionalism has also been called into question. In January, he had to respond to critics who suggested that he arrived in Madrid overweight after indulging himself a little too much over the summer.
All of this would not have boded well for his chances of performing well at Euro 2020. But thanks to the tournament’s postponement, that should all now change. The Belgian forward now has a full season to settle in properly at the Bernabeu, and fans of the Red Devils will be hoping that he can get back to his best.
If he can do that, and perform as well for Los Blancos as he did for Chelsea, then he’ll be one of the players to watch at Euro 2021. And what’s more, Belgium’s chance of winning their first major tournament will increase dramatically.
