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Ten emerging talents from FYROM

The UEFA European Women's U19 Championship in the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia had some exceptional individual performances. UEFA.com picks ten emerging talents.

England skipper Toni Duggan and Carmen Manduapessij of the Netherlands
England skipper Toni Duggan and Carmen Manduapessij of the Netherlands ©Sportsfile

The 2010 UEFA European Women's Under-19 Championship in the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia had some exceptional individual performances. UEFA.com reporters have selected their pick of ten emerging talents, with six of the eight finalists providing players.

Laetitia Philippe (France)
Out with injury as France kicked off their bid with a 2-0 loss to the Netherlands, Philippe made an immediate impact as she returned for their must-win encounter against Spain, pulling off a stunning reaction save late on to preserve a 1-0 lead. Quick off her line and boasting sharp reflexes plus exemplary ball-handling skills, the Montpellier Hérault SC No1 also made a vital save from England's Toni Duggan with the final still goalless.

Gilly Flaherty (England)
It said everything about Flaherty that she ended the tournament on crutches, turning her ankle as she selflessly slid in to deny France's Rose Lavaud what looked a certain goal in the final. A natural leader, it was her expertly-converted penalty that steered England past the Netherlands in the last four and she was an assured presence on the left flank throughout the tournament, keeping her cool in the final as others lost theirs.

Valeria Kleiner (Germany)
The Germany captain's miss in the semi-final shoot-out defeat by France should not detract from an otherwise excellent tournament for the defender. Assured, composed and dominant in the air, Kleiner oozes class and makes playing centre-back look extraordinarily easy. Her ability to read the game and bring the ball out from defence gave Germany the perfect base from which to launch their attacks.

Kelly Gadea (France)
The sturdy centre-back marshalled her fellow defenders superbly as Les Bleuettes tightened things up at the back in the wake of their opening-day loss to the Netherlands. Comfortable escorting the ball out from defence, she presented a redoubtable obstacle for Germany and then England, leading her colleagues to victory on both occasions. Nobody celebrated France's trophy win with more unbridled joy.

Carmen Manduapessij (Netherlands)
The Netherlands bowed out of this competition unbeaten and unbreached. Their parsimony was a consummate team effort, but sitting at the base of the midfield Manduapessij stood out. She deftly mopped up much of what spilled over into the final third and, not content with ending opponents' attacks, her range of intelligent passing meant she was also adept at launching them for the Jong Oranje.

Natasa Andonova (FYROM)
Billed as her country's brightest talent, the FYROM playmaker and captain did not disappoint on home soil. Never happier than with the ball at her feet, she gave her side a much-needed outlet, often kept multiple opponents busy and delivered the moment the hosts had been awaiting when she spotted France goalkeeper Laetitia Philippe off her line and scored from 40 metres out. None of that will have surprised Europe's leading clubs, who have been tracking her for some time.

Turid Knaak (Germany)
A regular in FCR 2001 Duisburg's run to the UEFA Women's Champions League semi-finals, Knaak's direct running and eye for goal helped her score the sole hat-trick at the final tournament against Scotland, the pick of her treble a sweetly-struck volley from the edge of the penalty area. Often deployed on the right, Knaak also opened the scoring against England and shared the top scorers' prize with Lieke Martens.

Lieke Martens (Netherlands)
Martens enjoyed a dream start to her tournament, scoring within 12 seconds of her introduction in the Jong Oranje's opening-day defeat of France. She followed it up with two more in the 7-0 victory against FYROM and was on target again against Spain in the Netherlands' last group game. Chances were at a premium in the last-four fixture with England, but as her team-mates struggled Martens provided an invaluable outlet, holding the ball up with poise beyond her 17 years.

Rebecca Dempster (Scotland)
A natural goalscorer, Dempster struck twice in Scotland's final group game to help her country recover from 3-1 down against Italy to earn their maiden final tournament point. Her second, a neat finish from Lisa Robertson's cross, was a poacher's special, while her effort against Germany from fully 25 metres demonstrated she is just as deadly outside the penalty box. Ten goals in nine matches ensured she finished as top scorer for the season, qualifiers included.

Toni Duggan (England)
Likened to Fernando Torres by one rapt fan in Kumanovo, Duggan deserves the distinction of being the only player from last year to retain her place in this list for her performance against Italy alone. Heading for a 1-0 defeat, the Everton LFC striker equalised in some style with three minutes remaining before her back-heel started the move from which Lauren Bruton struck a last-gasp winner. Duggan was like that throughout, cajoling England forward even when the heat was dragging them back.