Yuri Zhirkov is a left wing-back who plays for English side Chelsea and the Russian national team. Zhirkov arrived at Chelsea in July 2009 from Russian club CSKA Moscow, for a fee of £18m. This made him the most expensive Russian player of all time. With CSKA Zhirkov had won 2 Russian League titles, 4 Russian Cups and the 2005 UEFA Cup. In Zhirkov’s first season at Chelsea they won the double.

Fernando Gago is a defensive midfielder who plays for Spanish side Real Madrid and Argentina. Gago is a product of Boca Junior’s youth teams. He made his senior debut for the club as an 18 year old in 2004. Two years later Gago was signed by Real Madrid, at the same as fellow Argentinian Gonzalo Higuaín. A few months later Gago was also to make his senior debut for Argentina. He had previously been part of the Argentinian U-20 squad winning the 2005 FIFA World Youth Championship.

David Alaba is a left midfielder who plays for German side Bayern München and the Austrian national team. Alaba joined Austria Vienna’s youth squad at the age of 10. Word quickly got around about this talented youngster and six years later he moved to Bayern München’s youth academy. He made it into the first team squad in the 2009-10 season. Alaba is regarded as an exceptional talent and is Bayern’s youngest ever player in a competitive match, at 17 years, 7 months and 8 days old. He is also the youngest player to ever have played for Austria. He made that debut already in October 2009, at the age of 17 years and 112 days.

Thomas Müller is a forward or attacking midfielder who plays for German side Bayern München and Germany. Müller came up through Bayern München’s youth system, after having joined the club at the age of ten. He made his debut in the Bundesliga in August 2008, one month before his 19th birthday.
Müller also played for Germany at youth level. When he firmly established himself in the Bayern München team, the call up for Germany’s senior team also came in 2010. He went on to score five goals in the 2010 FIFA World Cup, making him joint top-scorer of the tournament. Having also made three assists Müller was awarded the Golden Boot, ahead of the other three players who also had scored 5 (David Villa, Wesley Sneijder, Diego Forlan). Müller also won the Best Young Player award.

Danijel Pranjić is a left midfielder who plays for German side Bayern München and Croatia. Pranjić played for several Croatian sides, including Dinamo Zagreb, before moving to Dutch side Heerenveen in the 2005-06 season. While at Dinamo Zagreb he was picked for the Croatian national team. Pranjić finished the 2008-09 season winning the Dutch Cup with Herenveen before joining Bayern München. Pranjić played all games for Croatia in the 2008 UEFA European Championship.