Class of 2004 graduate with honours

By Paul Saffer in Tirrenia

When players are marked out at a UEFA European Under-17 Championship, they are not expected to make an impact in senior football for several years to come - however advanced they might be for their age.

Inspiring quartet
Yet those taking the field for the Netherlands and Turkey in Pontedera on Saturday can take inspiration from four men - boys really - who lined up against each other a year ago in the final in Châteauroux, and have swiftly become established performers at senior level.

Nasri winner
As the 2004 decider between France and Spain moved towards added time, the score was 1-1. To the delight of the 13,000 home crowd, Samir Nasri picked up the ball outside the area and shot in to ensure hosts France were crowned champions.

Marseille debut
The left-sided midfielder, who turned 17 a month after the event, soon proved he was no flash in the pan. In September Nasri made his Ligue 1 debut for hometown club Olympique de Marseille, and he has gone on to make 23 league appearances this term.

'Dream come true'
He even scored his first senior goal against LOSC Lille Métropole in January, a fine dribble followed by an angled drive. "It is a dream come true," Nasri said. "The ball seemed to take an age to go over the line but it went in." A bit more physical strength, which surely will come, and Nasri could be a complete player.

Menez feats
Yet he is not the only member of that triumphant France team to make an impact this season. Striker Jérémy Menez, who set up the opening goal in the final, broke into the FC Sochaux-Montbéliard side even sooner than Nasri at Marseille, taking part in their UEFA Cup campaign. His 12-minute hat-trick against FC Girondins de Bordeaux in January was briefly a Ligue 1 record, and the following month Menez was joint-top scorer at the UEFA-CAF Meridian Cup.

Ben Arfa rise
Menez's attacking partner at U17 level, Hatem Ben Arfa, has been a regular on the bench for title-winning Olympique Lyonnais, and featured in four of their UEFA Champions League games. Only an injury suffered in November's French League Cup loss at Lille - in which he scored - prevented him making more appearances.

Fabregas achievements
However, the player who has made the biggest breakthrough since Châteauroux was on the losing team. Cesc Fabregas joined Arsenal FC in September 2003, and three months later became the club's youngest-ever scorer at the age of 16 years and 212 days in a 5-1 English League Cup success against Wolverhampton Wanderers FC. He had also made his first impact for Spain at the 2003 FIFA U-17 World Championship, finishing as top scorer as his nation reached the final.

Mature performer
That progress continued in France, where he struck a last-gasp semi-final winner against England. On the opening day of the 2004/05 season he started Arsenal's Premiership fixture at Everton FC, a 4-1 victory, and has since displayed a maturity in midfield beyond his years.

Swift rise
Fabregas, 18 last week, said: "The friends you have here are really, really good and they always want to help you to get better and better. I cannot say anything bad because last year I was playing for the reserves once a week."

Tantalising incentive
No one from Saturday's final need feel they have not made it if they have not matched the feats of Nasri or Fabregas in 12 months' time. However, their success provides a tantalising incentive.