Some of them have been there, a few of them have done it - but do the managers who are guiding 24 national sides at Euro 2016 really know what their players are going through? Here, Sportsmail takes a look at the men in the dugout when they too were idolised as players and the football cards representing them that were swapped and bartered for by children at the time.
After touching down in Switzerland on Tuesday afternoon, Germany's top stars have begun their preparations for Euro 2016 with a training session in the sunshine. Joachim Low and his reigning world champions are in Ascona, a picturesque town on the banks of Lake Maggiore, ahead of the European Championship in France, where they will ramp up preparations for the tournament.
Arsenal have parted with £35million to bring in Granit Xhaka, and the midfielder now has a doubly enthralling summer ahead with the prospect of coming up against his brother at Euro 2016.
England goalkeeper Joe Hart has told his team-mates 'there should be no ceiling' on his side's success during this summer's European Championship in France.
Managers across Europe are revealing the squads they hope will snatch glory in France this summer. Here Sportsmail lists every player in every squad, from Albania to Wales, via England and Germany.
Antonio Conte's long-term assistants Angelo Alessio and Massimo Carrera are to step down after Euro 2016, giving them the green light to follow the Italian to Chelsea.
Jeremy Mathieu will miss France's first warm-up match for Euro 2016 on May 30 after injuring his calf, Didier Deschamps said on Wednesday, adding to concerns over the hosts' back line.
England will face Russia in their Euro 2016 opener in Marseille before Roy Hodgson's side meet Wales in Lens.
With the beginning of Euro 2016 just around the corner, Wales' squad have boarded the plane to Portugal to begin their pre-tournament preparations. Chris Coleman is taking his side to the sunny Algarve for a training camp before he decides on his final 23-man squad for the finals; meaning six players will fall at the final hurdle. Arsenal midfielder Aaron Ramsey posted a picture of his team-mates including Chris Gunter, James Collins, Adam Matthews, Joe Ledley and Wayne Hennessey on Twitter as they arrived at Cardiff Airport.
Dion Dublin believes Marcus Rashford will miss out on Euro 2016 - but backed him to be an England star for years. The Manchester United wonderkid is set for his Three Lions debut against Australia on Friday as England's preparations for France gather pace. But ex-England striker Dublin feels boss Roy Hodgson will leave Rashford out in favour of Daniel Sturridge, despite the Liverpool striker's injury problems this season. ...read
Zlatan Ibrahimovic has heightened Manchester United's hopes of signing him by confirming he has made a decision on his future before heaping praise on incoming manager Jose Mourinho.
MATT LAWTON: Even Roy Hodgson struggled to contain his excitement at the prospect of Marcus Rashford starting for England against Australia on Friday.
Fabian Delph is likely to miss Euro 2016 after sustaining a groin injury. The Manchester City midfielder has been told he is now on a tournament standby list.
Nearly twenty people have been arrested today, as nearly 20,000 took to the streets all over France in demonstrations against new labour laws that turned violent this afternoon.
Roy Hodgson has claimed the entire world will be watching Marcus Rashford make his England debut on Friday. The 18-year-old striker is set to start against Australia at the Stadium of Light.
CHARLES SALE: Beeb insiders revealed the size of the contingent that will follow Wales after the BBC refused to give a breakdown of their 258 accreditations for the tournament.
Deschamps took training in a torrid week for Les Bleus. Already missing Mamdou Sakho due to his drugs ban, on Tuesday Raphael Varane was ruled out of the tournament with a thigh tear.
As Jose Mourinho prepared to become the new Manchester United manager on Thursday, his compatriots were busy gearing up for the first of three warm-up matches ahead of Euro 2016.
Australia's players looked relaxed during training at the Stadium of Light on Thursday as they prepared to put a spanner in the works of England's Euro 2016 preparations on Friday evening.
Robert Lewandowski smiled for the cameras as he took part in a training session for Poland who continued in their preparations for this summer in France.
Spain's Euro 2016 squad were greeted by a sea of red as they arrived at the team hotel in Austria on Thursday as the countdown to next month's tournament continues to gather pace.
Michael O'Neill has virtually settled on the 23 men to represent Northern Ireland at Euro 2016 and will not use Friday's friendly with Belarus to give squad hopefuls a late platform to impress.
Northern Ireland put the finishing touches to preparations for their final home warm-up match for Euro 2016, with Michael O'Neill's side looking to build some momentum against Belarus in Belfast.
England players arrived at the Hilton Gateshead team hotel in Newcastle on the eve of their friendly with Australia as preparations for Euro 2016 get well and truly under way.
A cyclist has taunted motorists queuing for petrol in France with a video of him pedalling in and out of their idle cars. A strike against labour reforms has causing massive petrol shortages.
Key Republic of Ireland midfielder and Everton star James McCarthy could go to the Euro 2016 finals even if he does not kick another ball in anger before Martin O'Neill names his squad.
John O'Shea is confident the Republic of Ireland are in the mood to improve upon their last trip to a major tournament when they head for France this summer.
Chelsea goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois has reiterated his intention to remain in west London next season, and the Belgian is determined to win the Premier League title once again.
The two Irishmen went face-to-face at the Aviva Stadium as they prepare to host Holland on Friday. Martin O'Neill's men have a tricky task at Euro 2016, with a group containing Belgium and Italy.
Arsenal have parted with £35million to bring in Granit Xhaka, and the midfielder now has a doubly enthralling summer ahead with the prospect of coming up against his brother at Euro 2016.
Antonio Conte’s long-term assistants Angelo Alessio and Massimo Carrera are to step down after Euro 2016, giving them the green light to follow the Italian to Chelsea.
England goalkeeper Joe Hart has told his team-mates 'there should be no ceiling' on his side's success during this summer's European Championship in France.
Some of them have been there, a few of them have done it - but do the managers who are guiding 24 national sides at Euro 2016 really know what their players are going through?
Belgium's stars looked in good spirits as they spent some time away from the training ground and enjoyed a team bonding trip. One of Euro 2016's favourites have been training in Switzerland.
Stephen Quinn, who featured in four of the five away games in the qualifiers, is desperate to make the final 23, but revealed he has been given no indication if he’s in the manager’s thoughts.
Manchester United striker Marcus Rashford looks set to be handed his Euro 2016 audition at the Stadium of Light, after shrugging off injury fears to declare himself fit to face Australia on Friday.
Aaron Ramsey insists facing England in a Battle of Britain at Euro 2016 holds no fear for Wales, who believe they can inflict a first defeat on their rivals in 32 years. Wales face England on June 16.
INTERVIEW BY MATT LAWTON: England boss Roy Hodgson will lose two of his key staff members following the conclusion of this summer's European Championship in France.
Daniel Sturridge is in danger of missing Euro 2016, with teenage sensation Marcus Rashford ready to seize the opportunity to join England in France this summer.
England plan to fast-track left-sided central defenders into their senior set-up after Euro 2016. Sportsmail understands Middlesbrough’s Ben Gibson is one of the players being looked at.
French riot police were called in to break a blockade of a fuel depot at Douchy-les-Mines in northern France. The violent scenes came amid fears of disruption to the Euro 2016 tournament.
Martin O'Neill will give James McCarthy as long as he dares to prove his fitness before the Republic of Ireland depart for the European Championship on Wednesday week.
The axe that will soon fall is the known unknown — the elephant in the room you dare not acknowledge. ‘Nobody wants to speak about it,’ Quinn revealed.
Eric Dier does not consider himself one of England's main men despite appearing to be a certainty to start in Roy Hodgson's midfield at Euro 2016. Dier has played in England's last five games.
The 23-year-old Walsall frontman, who made his debut against Ukraine in March, will leave the Welsh base at the Vale do Lobo resort in Portugal on Thursday and is a major doubt for the tournament.
The midfielder and his fiancee were left grieving in December when their daughter was still-born, and the tragedy has given him a perspective on the profession which has helped him to move on.
Gareth Bale believes Wales have a similar team spirit to Premier League champions Leicester - and the star forward is anticipating an emotional affair when his team meet England at Euro 2016.
Roy Hodgson's England squad met up at The Lowry Hotel in Manchester on Wednesday morning ahead of their second pre-Euro 2016 friendly against Australia.
The 26-year-old won the FA Cup with the Red Devils last weekend and is keen to maintain a place in the Italian national team when Antonio Conte cuts his 30-man-squad to 23 at the end of the month.
Zlatan Ibrahimovic looked fully focused on Wednesday as he trained for the first team with Sweden's Euro 2016 squad following his arrival to the camp.
Aaron Ramsey believes the time for Wales to celebrate reaching a first major tournament since 1958 is over, with ambitions now switching to showing the country can more than mix it.
Jeremy Mathieu will miss France's first warm-up match for Euro 2016 on May 30 after injuring his calf, Didier Deschamps said on Wednesday, adding to concerns over the hosts' back line.
After touching down in Switzerland on Tuesday afternoon, Germany's top stars have begun their preparations for Euro 2016 with a training session in the sunshine.
Leicester City players have attended the wedding of team-mate Jamie Vardy and his fiancee Rebekah Nicholson at Peckforton Castle in Cheshire.
Martin O'Neill has admitted telling some of his Republic of Ireland players they will not be going to the Euro 2016 finals will be one of the hardest parts of his job to date.
Gotze was linked with a move to Liverpool but has indicated that he wants to stay at the Allianz Arena and impress Carlo Ancelotti, who will take charge of the German giants next season.
Barcelona defender Jeremy Mathieu will miss France's first warm-up match for Euro 2016 after injuring his calf, coach Didier Deschamps has said, adding to concerns over the hosts' back line.
Bastian Schweinsteiger has thanked departing Manchester United manager Louis van Gaal and is looking forward to an 'interesting' derby next season as Jose Mourinho takes on Pep Guardiola.
Germany manager Joachim Low says he is unconcerned about the fitness levels of the squad he picked in the build-up to Euro 2016, despite having only 16 players in training on Wednesday.
The Merseyside club blew their shot at Champions League qualification after losing to Sevilla in the Europa League final last week, meaning they will not play in Europe at all next season.
LAURIE WHITWELL IN PORTUGAL: Wales got their Euro 2016 preparation underway at a training camp in the Algarve as Joe Ledley stepped up his recovery from a fractured leg.
Managers across Europe are revealing the squads they hope will snatch glory in France this summer. Here Sportsmail lists every player in every squad, from Albania to Wales, via England and Germany.
Reigning world champions Germany have Euro 2016 in their sights this summer as Joachim Low's squad ramp up preparations for next month's showpiece in France.
Former Northern Ireland striker David Healy has backed the transformed Kyle Lafferty to flourish in France and close the gap on his all-time goals record at Euro 2016.
DOMINIC KING: The dressing room doesn’t get fooled. When there is hype around a certain individual, the best gauge will always be found within the inner sanctum as to whether it is merited.
Zlatan Ibrahimovic didn't arrive to Sweden's European Championship base like a king on Tuesday but will certainly be hoping to leave as a legend come mid-July.
Harry Kane has fired a warning to England’s European Championship rivals by claiming their strike force is as good as any.
Paul Scholes has hailed the most exciting England team in ‘three or four tournaments’ but stopped short of saying Roy Hodgson’s men can actually win Euro 2016 this summer.
Martin Keown has called on England’s defence to relearn the basics if they are to make any impact at Euro 2016 this summer. Chris Smalling joined up with Roy Hodgson’s squad.
Didier Deschamps' France side have met up for the first time since he picked his 23-man squad that will play in this summer's European Championship.
French authorities have already told English and Welsh fans without tickets not to travel to Lens, and there will be an alcohol ban in the city centre for 24 hours from 6am on matchday.
Jamie Vardy has been likened to Craig Bellamy by Chris Coleman, who admits the striker’s international form has left Wales uncertain about how England will shape up for their Group B clash.
Raphael Varane was part of host nation's preliminary 26-man squad for the tournament but will now be sidelined for around four weeks with the grade two injury to his right hamstring.
The Chelsea manager-in-waiting watched over players including Gianluigi Buffon, Giorgio Chiellini and Stephan El Shaarawy after announcing his provisional 30-man squad for the tournament.
Roy Carroll has signed a one-year deal with Belfast club Linfield following his exit from Notts County. He will link up with former international team-mate David Healy.
EXCLUSIVE BY JOE BERNSTEIN: Jamie Vardy won’t be the only England star at Euro 2016 who has graduated from the non-League school of hard knocks. He was toughing it out until 19-years-old.
Every international tournament brings with it iconic moments that stay in the mind of football supporters forever. Those memories are often affected by the coverage surrounding the game.
Roy Hodgson's England side have begun preparations for their friendly against Australia on Friday with a squad meeting in Manchester.
He may have scored 20 international goals for France during his career but former Manchester United forward Eric Cantona will not be cheering on the host nation this summer.
With the beginning of Euro 2016 just around the corner, Wales' squad have boarded the plane to Portugal to begin their pre-tournament preparations in the sunny Algarve.
Silva's match readiness ahead of the opener has been up for debate, with the midfielder limited to just 24 appearances in the Premier League for Manchester City this season.
The striker is due to get married on Wednesday, having already moved his nuptials three times to accommodate England commitments — something that Hodgson appreciates.
Rory McIlroy hopes his winning touch will rub off on the Northern Ireland football team as they prepare for Euro 2016 this summer. McIlroy visited Michael O'Neill's side at their training camp.
Heading into Euro 2016 as one of the tournament favourites, Belgium have got their preparations well under way in Switzerland in rather rainy conditions.
Spain are considered amongst the favourites as they look to defend their European crown. However, unlike at most recent tournaments, there has been a lack of fanfare surrounding their build-up.
The true scale of Michael O’Neill’s success in guiding Northern Ireland to their first European Championships became clear when his squad gathered to begin their Euro 2016 preparations.
'With Arsenal I've been playing out wide, which is not me,' Wilshere said ahead of the tournament. 'I'm not a wide man, but Roy seems to have faith in me in the middle, so I'm happy with that.'
Lallana is set to feature in Friday's clash against Australia and Sportsmail understands he is pencilled in to start in England's opening Euro 2016 clash against Russia on June 11.
MATT LAWTON: Keeping those broad, muscular shoulders clear of dandruff will not be a problem for Joe Hart at Euro 2016 this summer. Keeping goal for England, however, could prove rather more difficult.
Euro 2016 managers... when they were players! Brilliant images show the bosses back in the days when they were taking orders
A mixed bag of careers
Ibrahimovic hints at United move, saying 'the future is already written' and praises Mourinho
Smiling star was coy at Sweden press conference
Atletico stars train for final time before flying to Milan for final as Torres labels Simeone as the 'best boss in Europe'
Atletico are readying themselves for rivals
From his finals to the final: England rugby star Itoje takes politics degree exams ahead of Twickenham showdown
Aviva Premiership final on Saturday
'Mr Manchester United' Ryan Giggs has spent almost 29 years at Old Trafford... Sportsmail delves into the archives to look back at pictures from his time at the club
Loftus-Cheek double all but puts Young Lions into Toulon final
England U21s made it three wins from three with a resounding 4-0 victory over Paraguay
Hamilton reveals clear the air talks with Rosberg as he shows off customised bike
The world champ has a new set of wheels after setting record straight
Barton: So what if I said I was a Celtic fan?
Joey Barton's social media posts have a tendency to wash back ashore at the most inopportune moments...
Leicester players attend Vardy's wedding
Jamie Vardy, who was given permission to miss England's friendly on Friday, tied the knot with Rebekah Nicholson
It's wedding season as Arsenal's Szczesny enjoys lavish ceremony with singer
On-loan Roma goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny's happy day
Nothing much on? McGregor relaxes by the beach with his girlfriend as UFC star awaits news of a rematch with Diaz
Chilling in Los Angeles with time on his hands
Karius is a big-game player, rarely puts a foot wrong and is a social media hit. So will he replace Mignolet?
Jurgen Klopp has got his hands on a new keeper
Mourinho's move to United could be held up by Chelsea's trademark of his name
And rivals are still flogging bargain bin merchandise
Zlatan gears up for Euro 2016 in £661,000 Porsche 918 Spyder
Talisman Zlatan Ibrahimovic sped into Sweden's Stockholm base in the swish motor
Coman turns heads as France squad meet up
Didier Deschamps' hosts assembled for the first time... and Kingsley Coman's attire will surely be a hot topic
Alonso, Verstappen and F1 drivers beat Ranieri's All Stars XI
Fernando Alonso and Max Verstappen were among those who showed off their skills
Scholes, Redknapp and Schmeichel among the stars of sport lining up at Wentworth alongside golfing greats
At BMW PGA Championship Pro-Am
Strauss and Pietersen bury the hatchet at BMW PGA Celebrity Pro-Am at Wentworth
Feud between pair has gone on for years at top of English cricket
'I've been watching him for a long time': Wenger gets his man as Xhaka completes £35m switch after agreeing £110,000-a-week deal
Done deal
Golden State Warriors on the brink of failing to reach play-offs after defeat by Oklahoma City Thunder leaves them trailing 3-1
More pain for Curry
Sharapova beams despite doping scandal
Two-time French Open winner won't be going anywhere near Roland Garros, so her business interests have taken over
Atletico Madrid limber up for Champions League final
Antoine Griezmann, Fernando Torres and Co prepare for the biggest game of their season
Barton joins Rangers as former England international signs two-year deal
Joey Barton was Burnley's player of the year last season
You staying? Giggs pops into hotel near Old Trafford as he waits to discover what Mourinho will offer in Manchester United revolution
At the Lowry Hotel
Mourinho emerges from London home as his agent Mendes meets Woodward in bid to seal three-year deal at Manchester United
Bags taken from house
History boys! Wales fly off to Portugal to begin their pre-Euro 2016 training camp
Chris Coleman hopes Joe Ledley will be fit for the finals
CANTONA AT 50: How King Eric conquered the Premier League to spark United's golden age of dominance
Premier League superstar
Hummels poses with Bayern shirt after completing £30m move from rivals Dortmund
Germany defender has rejoined the club he left back in 2009
Going somewhere, Jose? Boxes removed from Mourinho's London home as he prepares to replace Louis van Gaal
Ex-Chelsea boss is on his way to Manchester
Fabregas andSilva join Premier League's other Spanish stars as they touch down in Madrid
Vicente del Bosque's men are beginning their Euro 2016 preparations
Brendan's back! Rodgers says Celtic are 'one of the biggest clubs in the world'
Former Liverpool boss was all smiles as he returned to management
On cloud canine! Sanchez jets back to Chile with his pet dogs
The Arsenal star would not leave his pets, Atom and Humber, back in a north London kennel
Blackwell blasts 'disgusting' Chris Eubank Snr for 'grabbing attention' while he lay in a coma
Blackwell labels the Eubanks as 'inhuman'
Stars in stripes: Arsenal unveil new home kit for the 2016-17 campaign
Club reveal Alexis Sanchez will wear the No 7 shirt next season
Sealed with a kiss! Barca break Sevilla hearts in Copa del Rey
A moment of divine intervention from Lionel Messi helped Barcelona complete the double
Terim ticked off after using mobile to moan about Kane's goal
Fatih Terim appeared to complain about a decision with the use of phone footage
Leicester take their South East Asia tour to Shwedagon Pagoda
Claudio Ranieri and his squad took part in a ritual with Buddhist monks in Myanmar
It's the Vardy penalty!
Jamie Vardy may have bagged the winner against Turkey but Ian Wright and Lee Dixon questioned his methods in winning spot-kicks
Oh, what a night!
Manchester United players arrived back at their hotel at 4am after their FA Cup celebrations - and their friends stayed till dawn
Make a wish...
Novak Djokovic was presented with a birthday cake which featured edible tennis balls and a miniature racket... but will he win the French Open?
Guardiola breaks down again during party
Pep Guardiola signed off from his Bayern Munich career with victory in the German Cup... and he got quite emotional
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