With the supply of live football drying out, tournaments like the European U21 Championships take on added significance for those who are already feeling the first twinges of a withdrawal symptoms.

Yet there is more to these championships as they provide the opportunity of taking a look at some players who could be genuine world stars in coming years. And, whilst most of those making the trip with England are already well known, this is definitely not the case for the other teams in the tournament.

So, if you’re looking to know of any players to keep an eye out for, here’s our list of five talents to look out for.

Javi Martinez (Spain - pictured)
The young midfielder first rose to prominence when Atletico Bilbao paid £5 million for the then 17 year-old. Within twelve months, however, he had justified such a fee with a series of inspiring displays at the heart of Bilbao midfield. An excellent passer of the ball and with great vision he is, unsurprisingly, seen as Xabi Alonso heir.

Mesut Ozil (Germany)
Werder Bremen may have lost Diego to Juventus this summer, but in Mesut Ozil they’ve already identified the player who is to take his place. Alongside the Brazilian midfielder, Ozil impressed in the latter stages of the UEFA Cup showing that he is a player who can handle the pressure that comes with high profile games, proving that he has the character to go with his flair.

Mario Balotelli (Italy)
The son of Ghanaian immigrants who was adopted by an Italian family, Balotelli has often been at the heart of controversy this season both because of the racism directed to him and also for his pig-headedness. Yet his talent is undoubted. A fast and strong striker, he can score exceptional goals. Not for nothing that he finished the season as a regular in Jose Mourinho’s Inter.

Gojko Kačar (Serbia)
One of the more experienced players in this tournament, Kacar was involved in the Serbian team that made it to the final two years back and has already made the step up to the senior national team. An extremely powerful player, he is nominally a midfielder yet can play both in the heart of defence as well as in the centre of attack.

Marcus Berg (Sweden)
There are always doubts about host nations’ abilities to make any inroads in such tournaments and such a sentiment has been expressed about Sweden this time round. There can be little doubts over Berg, however, after the young striker first helped Gotheborg win the 2007 Swedish title before making a move to Dutch side Groningen whom he has helped into the top half of the Dutch league.