Euro 2016: Quarter-Final XI featuring Arsenal and West Ham stars

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Right Centre-Midfield: Aaron Ramsey (Wales)

The Arsenal midfielder was given far too much freedom in the centre of the park against Belgium in Lille, and he duly set about punishing them for it. He assisted two of Wales’ three goals, to take his total number of tournament assists to four. The shine was taken off his performance after his second half booking for handball meant he would miss Wales’ semi-final meeting with Portugal. After the booking he did his utmost to see his country over the line, but he will be a huge miss in what will be Wales’ maiden appearance in the last four and will hope his teammates can give the Red Dragons another shot at history by making it into the showpiece final.

Centre-Midfield: Renato Sanches (Portugal)

Manchester United will be ruing missing out on the Benfica youngster to Bayern Munich on the evidence of his performance against Poland. At the tender age of 18 and with a mere one season of senior football under his belt, he looked completely at ease at this level of professional football and was energetic and strong throughout the game in Marseille. He seized his big moment with aplomb, playing a one-two with Nani and crashing a left footed shot beyond a helpless Lukasz Fabianski which took a small nick off Grzegorz Krychowiak. Sanches is really beginning to look the real deal, and his goal made him the youngest player to score in the knockout rounds of a European Championships and the third youngest overall goal-scorer in the history of the competition.

Left-Centre Midfield: Dimitri Payet (France)

The West Ham United playmaker is having a fine tournament for host nation France, and he was influential once again as Les Bleus set about dismantling Iceland. Payet was a handful for the beleaguered underdogs on a rainy night in Saint-Denis, netting a brilliant third goal for the French and providing an assist for another French goal, his brilliant free-kick finding the head of Olivier Giroud right on the hour mark to restore France’s four goal cushion over the Icelanders. His form at this year’s Euros is attracting the attention of several top clubs in Europe, and if his rich vein of form continues he may yet have a major international title to add to his CV.

Centre-Attacking Midfield: Antoine Griezmann (France)

Deployed in his favoured central role along and behind the forward line, Atlético Madrid’s Griezmann was a creative livewire throughout France’s comprehensive 5-2 win over Iceland. He was always involved when the French went forward, providing first-half assists for Paul Pogba and Dimitri Payet to score, and after Giroud’s dummy sent him clear, he capped off a scintillating first-half for the French with an exquisite dink over the top of Hannes Thór Halldórsson to get onto the scoresheet himself. It was his first international goal in 648 minutes of football, but it took his tournament tally to four, making him the top scorer so far at Euro 2016. France will hope to have him firing on all cylinders ahead of the semi-finals as they prepare to face world champions Germany with a shot at the coveted Henri Delaunay trophy at stake.