Wayne who? Why Ashley Young can be England’s talisman at Euro 2012

The European Championships of 2012 are upon us. The eyes of the football world are on Ukraine and Poland for three weeks and the question on everyone’s lips is how on earth are England going to score without Manchester United striker Wayne Rooney in the team?

Step forward Ashley Simon Young. England manager Roy Hodgson needs a lion to emerge from the pack to take the tournament by the scruff of the neck and based on recent international form, Young is as likely as anybody to do so.

Having scored three goals in seven appearances during the qualifying stage, the former Aston Villa man kept up that hunger in friendly appearances against the likes of Holland and Norway and now boasts a record of five goals in his last seven internationals.

In the market for top England goalscorer at the tournament, it’s important to size up the competition and at the risk of sounding harsh, Young isn’t up against a lot.

As everyone is fully aware, Rooney is suspended for the opening two games, so unless England progress to the very late stages, you would be very brave to back the Liverpool-born superstar, especially as he is currently at the same 11/2 odds as Young, who gets a two-game head start.

In Andy Carroll and Danny Welbeck (both 5/1), England have two strikers capable of scoring goals, but neither were prolific this season and specialise more in making life easier for a deeper lying goalscorer (Luis Suarez and Rooney).

In the market for top England goalscorer at the tournament, it’s important to size up the competition and at the risk of sounding harsh, Young isn’t up against a lot.

This will work out perfectly for Young, who is likely to play in the hole behind the sole striker.

New customers registering with bwin can claim a free £25 bet and placing this on Ashley Young to be England’s top scorer at Euro 2012 will return an impressive £162.50 if successful.

Elsewhere, Jermain Defoe is unlikely to get many minutes, Steven Gerrard will be playing deep and could get injured at any moment, and unless England face Croatia at some point, Theo Walcott will struggle to trouble the scorers.

Young has excelled in the first two games under Hodgson’s leadership, scoring the winner against Norway and setting up Welbeck to clinch victory over Belgium.

Barring injury or suspension, the 26-year old is likely to play every game for England at Euro 2012 and at 11/2, is this punter’s favourite to lead the way in goals for the Three Lions.

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