It's official - Ireland have the oldest squad travelling to Euro 2016 while Roy Hodgson's England side have the youngest.
England's addition of 18-year-old Marcus Rashford not only capped a
remarkable three-month rise from Manchester United youth player to
England international, but brought the average age of the squad below 26
years old when the tournament gets underway on 10 June.
Rashford will be the youngest player at the Euros at 18 years and 214
days, with the next youngest player being Bayern Munich’s new
Portuguese signing Renato Sanches, who is two months older than the
Manchester United striker.
In total, seven of Hodgson’s 23-man
squad will be under the age of 23 in Rashford, Dele Alli [20], Raheem
Sterling [21], John Stones, Eric Dier, Ross Barkley and Harry Kane [all
22].
The England squad will be the nation’s youngest to head to a major
tournament since the 1958 World Cup, although it may not be such a bad
thing given that reigning world champions Germany are the next youngest
squad with their average just a few days older.
In stark contrast, Ireland will head to
France with the oldest squad, with the likes of striker Robbie Keane and
captain John O’Shea, both 35, bumping up their squad average age to 29
years and 297 days. Ireland's squad contains just one player - Cyrus
Christie - aged 23 or younger and worryingly, Ireland also had the
oldest squad at Euro 2012, when they were comprehensively beaten in all
of their group games.
However, the oldest player in this year’s tournament hails from
Hungary, with former Crystal Palace, Burnley and Fulham goalkeeper Gabor
Kiraly poised to become the oldest ever player in European Championship
history if he plays. The 40-year-old could break the current record
held by Germany’s Lothar Matthaus, who appeared in Euro 2000 at the age
of 39, although Kiraly last featured in an international tournament at
the 1998 World Cup – also in France.
CREDIT TO:http://www.independent.ie/sport/soccer/euro-2016/this-euro-2016-squad-stat-does-not-bode-well-for-irelands-chances-this-summer-34765182.html
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