Well there may be no British teams but there are plenty of British-based players to follow. This, however, could be the tournament to sit back, watch and enjoy with none of the usual pressures, unless of course you are having a flutter. I wouldn't recommend it, however, because this is one of the most open championships for decades.

It might also be just the time to analyse certain players a little more closely to gauge if they really are worth the hype. A number are expected to take the next step up, which can mean making the tournament their own, but usually suggests they will be going to the English Premier League for north of £10m come July.

Three players who fit neatly into this category are Andrie Arshavin, Luka Modric and Franck Ribery. The Russian Arshavin will be fresh in the minds of every Rangers supporter after his man of the match display for Zenit in the UEFA Cup final in Manchester. Before that he had helped destroy England's chances of qualification so he has long been on the radar of the world's talent spotters.

At 27, if he wants to be considered a world player he has to move from Russia soon, no matter how much Gazprom are paying him. Fortunately he has a good coach and he is surrounded by a good team that could progress in the tournament, a team that will provide him with plenty of possession in dangerous areas. He is a quality player and if he finds space he will destroy even the meanest defences, as Rangers will testify.

Modric is already under pressure to produce for Croatia following his much-publicised £16m move to Spurs. This is a good thing, he has to get used to the spotlight because the glare will be even more intense as a Premier League playmaker.

I suspect Modric, with his vision and range of passing, will do well this month. For midfielders, international football is in many ways easier than the top half of the Premier League at the moment. He will not be closed down as quickly, the tackles will not be quite as biting, the matches will be unashamedly technical and as such he should flourish. On the debit side, the loss of Arsenal's Eduardo and particularly his movement could limit Luka offensively. It is a significant hurdle but not as daunting as those he will have to face next season.

The final player who has to make the step up is Ribery, though that may sound unfairly patronising on a French internationalist who stars for the mighty Bayern Munich week in, week out. Ribery has, however, only recently blossomed into the player we have been told he is capable of being. Maturity is very important and, at 25, this is his time.

At his best he is close to unstoppable with his trickery, pace and balance on the flanks. He regularly makes good defenders look like supertankers chasing a speedboat and I hope he can bring his newfound consistency to the party this time. I am a late convert to Franck's fan club, but he is a player whose name can become synonymous with Euro 2008 for years to come, just as Platini and Zidane stamped their names on previous tournaments. No pressure there, then.

Hopes maybe high for Ribery, but for some it is more than that, it is expectation. Fernando Torres will lead the impressive Spanish Armada hoping they do not flounder before reaching their destination, as history tells us they always do. This time he has Cesc Fabregas, Xabi Alonso and David Villa, though no Raul. There is talent in abundance along with youth and this could be the making of them because there is less baggage from previous sorties.

For the first time there are also a few Spanish players who have sampled the English game and this has given them a more rounded footballing education. None has benefited more than Torres, who has finally provided the answer to Liverpool's search for a worthy successor to Rush, Fowler and Owen. His technique is as good as any out-and-out striker around and he has added some steel to his performances under Benitez. Euro 2008 would seem to be made for him with a group section including the very beatable Sweden and Greece. As long as he isn't jaded after his long season at Anfield, he has a chance of being the top scorer in Austria and Switzerland.

The Spaniard will have a chance of collecting the golden boot only if Cristiano Ronaldo quickly discovers that he is only human and not some football God. There is little doubt in my mind that he has not only been the best player in the world this season, but he has been the best by some considerable distance.

I struggle to find a weakness in his game now as he has ironed out the problem of overindulgence under the watchful eye of Sir Alex. He may well be rubbish in goal, but in each and every other aspect such as skill, pace, goal scoring, free kicks, heading, vision and even defending, he is world class. The Portuguese all rounder is another player who is surrounded by a good team. I suspect Ricardo Carvalho will be the best defender in the tournament again, so big things should not only be expected, but demanded.

Euro 2008 should be worth watching just for him and his ability. I just hope it is players like Ronaldo along with Ribery, Modric, Arshavin and Torres who will be the stars and not defenders like the Greek Traianos Dellas last time. With the always-positive Manchester United crowned European club champions, it would be the perfect end to the season to see two attacking international sides battle out a high-scoring final. Spain v Portugal would do for me.