Papadopulos poised for England test

No quarter given
The Bayer 04 Leverkusen forward and his team-mates are shrugging aside a difficult run-up to the tournament in the Netherlands, vowing they will give no quarter to an England side Papadopulos considers among the candidates to take the U21 title. The Czechs face England in the Group B opener at the Gelredome on Monday, with Papadopulos knowing that a good showing from him and the team will help raise his profile in Leverkusen, where he has made just one Bundesliga start since moving from FC Baník Ostrava in January 2006.

'Among the favourites'
"Of course you have to put England among the favourites," Papadopulos told uefa.com during a break in training in Groesbeek, close to Arnhem. "But while we respect their quality, we are not afraid of them. A match begins with the result at 0-0 and anything can happen." The 22-year-old, whose father was born in Greece but represented the Czech Republic at U18 level, is looking forward to meeting up with England defender Justin Hoyte, a colleague at Arsenal FC during Papadopulos's year in London on loan in 2003/04. He did not make a senior appearance for Arsenal, but says he learned a terrific amount. "It was an unbelievable experience because I was training with the first team alongside players such as Thierry Henry - it was a super time."

Leverkusen showcase
Papadopulos believes it is high time his career at Leverkusen moved up a gear, and defenders in the Netherlands will be kept fully occupied by his pace and goalscoring ability. "I've spent one and a half years [in Leverkusen], and I feel things must get better for me. I hope they will do, but of course this tournament is not only about me doing well - it's about us as a team doing well. We've had injuries but things seem to be getting better and although we've lost a couple of friendlies, the real work starts on Monday. I think we are ready. Our ambition is to get through the group stage - anything can happen after that."