Free-kick specialist Sneijder is another product of Ajax's world famous youth system. The slightly built midfielder experienced a meteoric rise to the top at the age of 18, making his first-team debut for Ajax in a 6-0 victory against Willem II in February 2003 and then winning his first senior international cap in a 1-1 draw against Portugal just two months later. He kept his place in the squad for Euro 2004, where he made two appearances as a substitute as the Oranje reached the semi-finals. Sneijder has not been a regular starter for the national team during Marco van Basten's reign, but his incisive long-range passing is likely to prove a useful weapon from the bench in Germany.