THE 'SLOVAKIAN DAVID BECKHAM' PLOTTING ENGLAND'S DOWNFALL: HE WAS ONE OF THE BEST PLAYERS IN EUROPE IN HIS PRIME AND NOW MAREK HAMSIK IS PART OF A COACHING TEAM SET TO LOCK HORNS WITH GARETH SOUTHGATE - BUT HE'S GOT RID OF THAT FAMOUS HAIRSTYLE

• Hamsik is one of Slovakia's greatest ever players with 138 caps for his country 
• He is now part of a coaching team that looks to take down England on Sunday 
• LISTEN to It's All Kicking Off! EUROS DAILY: Will England ever get a better chance to win the Euros? 

Slovakia's greatest ever player will look to play his part in ending England's Euro 2024 hopes on Sunday, but he will do so from his new role on the bench.  

England are massive favourites to prevail when they play Slovakia in the last-16 in Gelsenkirchen, having never lost to their opponents in six prior meetings. 

Marek Hamsik is the country's greatest ever player, holding the record for most caps with 138 after a legendary career. 

He was part of the Slovakian side that frustrated England at Euro 2016 in the group stage to a goalless draw.

Hamsik, 36, retired from football last year, but will hope to frustrate England once again as part of a Slovakian coaching team that are set to lock horns with Gareth Southgate. 

The former midfielder was an exceptionally good player in his prime, becoming a legend at Napoli where he scored 121 goals in 520 games between 2007 and 2019.  

At his best, he was a quick, energetic and tactically versatile player who could play in a number of positions in attack or on the wing. 

He was an elegant playmaker and excellent set-piece taker and in his home country he was dubbed the 'Slovakian David Beckham'.

Part of this was down to his iconic hairstyle which made him hard to miss whenever he was on the pitch.

His spiked Mohican became a part of his identity and was a picture of his huge personality which was felt for club and country both on an off the pitch. 

Though he retired last year after a spell at Turkish side Trabzonspor, he still plays a huge role behind the scenes for his country.

He currently serves as the country's team manager, behind the head coach Francesco Calzona and has been seen on the bench though now with a short back and sides hairstyle rather than his iconic mohican. 

His role doesn't mean he plays a part in the team's tactics, but he looks after the players and ensures that everything is organised for him.  

Speaking on Hamsik's personality and influence on the Slovakian national team, head coach Francesco Calzona said: 'If I had a son, I would want him to be someone like Marek Hamšík, because he is very humble despite his career as a champion. 

'He is straightforward, and everyone loves him. I've realised how important he is for Slovakia because I've never heard anyone speak ill of him or say anything negative about him.'

Hamsik is also a big family man, marrying his partner Martina Franova in 2014, and the couple have three children together - Christian (born 2010), Lucas (born in 2012) and a daughter named Melissa (2017). 

His sister Michaela is married to Uruguayan footballer Walter Gargano - a former team-mate of Hamsik at Napoli. 

While an interesting fact is that his grandfather Ivan Hamsik ran as a candidate in the Slovakian parliamentary election last year. 

While Slovakia miss a prime Hamsik's presence in their current team, he plays a huge role in helping the current group of players, which includes a number of familiar faces and strong players who can cause England problems.  

Perhaps the most notable name out of today's Slovakia stars in their captain Milan Skriniar. 

The 29-year-old became one of the best centre-backs in world football at Inter Milan, playing a huge part in their Serie A title triumph in 2021, and helping reach the Champions League final two years later. 

Skriniar had been linked with a Premier League move for some time, but he ultimately joined PSG last summer.

It has been a frustrating year for the defender as he missed two months of action from January after suffering an ankle injury and had to be managed by manager Luis Enrique during the final months of the season. 

However, he is a strong defender who possesses exceptional positional sense, and is strong in the air and in one on one situations.

In defensive midfield they have Stanislav Lobotka, a regular at Napoli where he featured in every game as they won the Serie A title in 2022-23. 

Much of his best work on the pitch goes unnoticed, but he has a very impressive passing range, and topped the Serie A with his 94.2 per cent successful pass rate in the year Napoli ended their title drought.

From a deep possession he is important in how Slovakia build up their play and rarely loses possession of the ball.

In terms of attackers, England might look at Slovakia's front three and might not think there is much goals in there.

Lukas Haraslin netted 16 goals in 43 games for Sparta Prague, Robert Bozenik scored 11 in 34 for Portuguese side Boavista while Ivan Schranz had  eight goals in 32 for Slavia Prague.

However, the latter scored in Slovakia's opening two games and might just be a player who has hit form at the right time. 

While one recognisable name in the squad is Newcastle goalkeeper Martin Dubravka who made some vital saves, particularly in the 1-0 victory over Belgium which ultimately proved crucial in them reaching the knockout phase. 

While England are massive favourites to advance to the quarter-finals, they have fallen victim to upsets in this tournament before - notably Iceland in 2016 - and Slovakia's experienced players could punish them if they put in another lacklustre performance. 

Read more

2024-06-27T14:56:24Z dg43tfdfdgfd