SIMON KJAER
Like a fine wine, Kjaer has improved with age through a peripatetic career that has taken in spells at Palermo, Wolfsburg, Roma, Lille, Fenerbahce, Sevilla, Atalanta and, finally, Milan. It is little wonder, perhaps, that he is fluent in five languages.
The 31-year-old central defender is now flourishing at the San Siro, swiftly becoming a key component of a Milan team challenging properly in Serie A for the first time in years.
Kjaer’s great strength is his composure, both in reading the play and in passing through the lines accurately from the back. When a battle is required, he has the strength, courage and street-wise experience for that too.
During the Nations League he drew level on 102 international caps with Denmark’s greatest all-time defender Morten Olsen, against whom all Danes are judged. Kjaer does not suffer too badly by comparison.
The European Championship will be his fifth major tournament stretching back to the 2010 World Cup, and his second as team captain.