PLAYER FOCUS: JACK WILSHERE

With the European Championships a mere spot on the horizon there are literally hundreds of players in with a shot of reaching the final stages.

One player that seems to have almost secured a spot on the plane already (if England qualify) is Arsenal's wonder-teen Jack Wilshere. Despite his tender age of just 18 and so few caps he could actually wear them on his head and not look a fool making this achievement even more impressive.

Young Jack burst onto the scene last summer in the annual Emirates Cup tournament in pre-season. After being hailed for his skillful trickery there were some who called for him to go to the World Cup in South Africa but Fabio Capello opted against taking the youngster.

Now a regular in the Gunners' first team we've started to see more of the real Jack Wilshere. In his first appearance on our screens some 18 months ago he appeared as a flying winger, skinning players and making darting runs into the box from the flanks. However an injury prone Spaniard has left a hole in the middle of Arsenal's midfield and now we can see the player that Wilshere really is.

The teenager cuts a Scholes-like figure in the middle of the park, chasing back, stringing passes together and pushing forward into the box when needed.

The young gun may well give Mr. Capello the option he has been looking for in the middle of the park while giving England fans the replacement they've been searching for since a certain Manchester United midfielder retired some six years ago.

PLAYER FOCUS: GIANLUIGI BUFFON

In the world of international football, they don't come much more respected than Gianluigi Buffon.

The eternally brilliant Italian commands praise from all corners of the globe and even now in his thirty-second year he still gets linked to the biggest clubs in Europe, despite the inevitable price that would be required.

Rumours of a summer transfer to the Premier League seem to gather pace with every passing day and perhaps playing abroad is one of the few things left to accomplish for the veteran 'keeper.

Buffon's move from his first club, Parma, to Juventus in 2001, sent shockwaves around the footballing world when he made the switch for over £23 million, an amount that still remains the highest fee ever paid for a goalkeeper.

Perhaps even more impressive than his exemplary club record - UEFA Cup winner, Italian Cup winner and twice a Serie A winner - is his incredible international career. South Africa will be Buffon's fourth World Cup and the Italy legend has more than proven his ability on the big stage.

In Italy's victorious campaign at Germany 2006 Buffon kept five clean sheets in seven matches including a 453 minute streak without conceding. Buffon's form was influential in Italy's run to glory and he'll be hoping to provide the same stronghold this time around in South Africa.

Buffon reached the magical mark of one hundred caps for his country earlier this year and will be looking to add seven more to that total this summer.

PLAYER FOCUS: BASTIAN SCHWEINSTEIGER

Many German footballers have left their mark on the World Cup; Gerd Muller, Franz Beckenbauer and Jurgen Klinsmann to name but a few. This summer may be the turn of another as Bayern Munich midfielder Bastian Schweinsteiger attempts to put his name in the FIFA record books.

At just 25 years old, Schweinsteiger is yet to reach his prime and, after a bright start to his career, has failed to make the impact on the world stage than was perhaps expected of him. However, that’s not to say he’s not tasted his fair amount of success.

Schweinsteiger was a national champion in successive years at under-17 and under-19 level, before winning his first senior honour with Bayern Munich the following season, at the tender age of just 18. Schweinsteiger’s debut season at Bayern saw him pick up both a league and cup winner’s medal and the Kolbermoor born star has since gone on to win an impressive eight major honours, achieving the Bundesliga and German cup double on four occasions.

It’s not just club football where Schweinsteiger has shown his ability, by the time he steps onto a pitch in South Africa he will be amongst the twenty highest cap winners in German football history. With 73 caps, at the age of just 25, he is more experienced on the world stage than many older international stars such as club mate Franck Ribery (42 caps), former England captain John Terry (59) and Real Madrid’s Spanish midfielder Xabi Alonso (66).

Those caps have been earned on the big stage too, after making his international debut at the age of just nineteen, he reached the semi-final of his first major tournament at the 2006 World Cup and then went one step further by making the final of the European Championships in 2008, before losing out to eventual champions Spain. This time around Schweinsteiger will be looking to go one step further again and pick up yet another piece of silverware for his ever expanding trophy cabinet.

According to his player profile on Bayern Munich’s official website Bastian has all the attributes needed to conquer the world. His interests are listed as “travel and new experiences” so he shouldn’t find himself too far out of his comfort zone in South Africa this summer. His personal motto - “Never lose your belief” - will undoubtedly come in handy as his country have been drawn in a tricky group alongside Australia, Serbia and African Nations Cup runners-up, Ghana.

Combine his ‘never-give-up’ attitude with accomplished shooting and passing over great distances and Schweinsteiger could well prove to be Germany’s secret weapon.

PLAYER FOCUS: JONAS GUTIERREZ

Playing your football in the second tier of any country’s league system would, you may think, make it difficult to command a spot in a national team. When that team is one of the most successful and talent-filled nations in the world the task appears to get even harder.

None of this is a problem however for Newcastle United left winger Jonas Gutierrez, who consistently commands a spot in Diego Maradona’s team.

The Argentines, under the stewardship of the legendary World Cup winner, may have qualified for this summer’s tournament by the skin of their teeth but the head coach had no qualms picking a man who plies his trade in the English Championship.

For the man nicknamed Spiderman for his trademark goal celebration, Gutierrez's first year at Newcastle was an eventful one. After his transfer from Real Mallorca he saw three different managers at St. James’ Park within a year and despite an impressive debut against Manchester United on the opening day (see video below), it proved to be a less than fruitful campaign that concluded with the devastating blow of relegation from the Premier League.

It was assumed that Gutierrez would leave the Toon Army in search of first team football but his national team boss moved to reassure him that staying at Newcastle would not affect his international career.

Maradona stated openly to the press that the Argentina side was made up of, “Mascherano, Messi, Jonas and eight others,” clearly naming Gutierrez as an integral part of his plans.

Gutierrez repaid the favour telling the world of his joy at being coached by one of his heroes, “What can you say about Maradona? To have him nearby and get instructions from him always motivates you that bit more.” Maradona kept his word, handing Gutierrez a starting spot in each of the crucial remaining qualifiers.

However, with just one international goal, in a friendly against France, and one goal for his club, it’s hard to see exactly what it is that keeps drawing Maradona towards him. With the attacking talents of Athletico Madrid’s Sergio Aguero, Manchester City’s Carlos Tevez and Real Madrid’s Gonzalo Higuain at the his disposal, for what reason does Maradona guarantee a spot to a Championship player ahead of some of European football’s top stars?

Perhaps it’s his determination to get forward at every opportunity, his ability to run with the ball at great pace and his deft first touch. Perhaps it’s that El Diego sees a little of himself in the winger and, with just a little push in the right direction, he can become a key link to supply goals.

On the big stage in South Africa it’ll be a chance to shine, and a chance to show just why his hero has put so much faith in him.

Article by David Kifford, freelance football journalist and regular contributor to "The World Cup".

PLAYER FOCUS: FRANCK RIBERY

Zinedine Zidane describes him as the "jewel of French football", and Franz Beckenbauer - the president of his current club Bayern Munich - claims Ribery's value is as high as Cristiano Ronaldo. Rumours of his leaving the Bundesliga were at a height last summer and an £81 million price tag was demanded from any interested parties. Notable for tremendous energy levels, skill and precision passing, Franck Ribery is definitely the new golden boy of French football.

Certainly a considerable weight of expectation rests on his shoulders as the World Cup approaches. Having sneaked in the back door by virtue of their controversial play-off victory against Ireland, France will now be expected to step up a few gears in South Africa as they seek to maintain an impressive recent World Cup record - two finals in the last three tournaments and one title. Ribery played in all seven matches of France's campaign at Germany 2006, having only made his international debut a couple of weeks prior to the start of the tournament. Now he has amassed over 40 caps and his contribution to France's

unconvincing but ultimately successful qualification campaign for South Africa was significant - in particular his winning goals in the home and away fixtures with Lithuania.

It's hard to imagine France progressing to the latter stages in South Africa if Ribery does not perform. He is a potential star of the tournament and the World Cup is the ultimate stage for great players to showcase their talents. It's the arena where sometimes the transition is made to another level of greatness. At 26 years of age, this could be Ribery's best chance to write himself into French football folklore alongside the likes of Zidane and Platini.