EURO 2016 - The key men of the first three days

Euro 2016 exploded into action on Friday evening, as hosts France secured a late victory against Romania at the Stade De France. Now three days into the tournament, we took a look at some of the names who have made solid early impressions.

Dimitri Payet - (France 2 Romania 1)

The West Ham forward was in inspired form as the host nation began their campaign with a thrilling late victory. The Hammers star appears to be something of a late bloomer, after only now making his impact on the national stage aged 29, but the thousands of jubilant French fans in Paris were certainly glad that he has. Making an assist for Oliver Giroud's and France's first, Payet pulled the strings endlessly before smashing in a sublime effort of his own in the dying moments - to then be substituted to a standing ovation with tears in his eyes. One to watch as the tournament progresses.

Granit Xhaka - (Albania 0 Switzerland 1) 

Arsenal fans will be delighted by the performance of the dynamic Swiss midfielder, who has recently put pen to paper on a long term contract with their club. Xhaka was an imperial presence in the centre of the park, in what must have been an emotional affair playing against his brother Taulant. The Arsenal new boy was crunching into tackles and looking to control the game's pendulum of tempo, which he did to fine effect.

Joe Allen - (Wales 2 Slovakia 1)

The jubilation surrounding Wales qualifying for their first major tournament in 50 years had barely subsided when the Red Dragon set about defeating Slovakia in their opening game to put themselves in a strong position in group B. While Gareth Bale took the headlines as usual with another high calibre performance, it was the midfield dilligence and work rate of Liverpool's Joe Allen who enabled the Welsh troops to function so fluidly. Finishing his personal 2015/16 season in strongly at club level, it was obvious that Allen hadn't neglected to pack his good form when boarding the plane for France.

Wayne Rooney - (England 1 Russia 1)

It was one of the biggest talking points leading up to the game; would Wayne Rooney play, and if so, where? Rooney slotted into Roy Hodgson's midfield in a deeper lying role and looked as though he had been playing there all his career. The Manchester United captain must have known the critics would be waiting to devour him should he have produced a no-show performance, but the experience of Rooney shone through and the 30-year-old can be proud of a slick and dominant day at the office. Rooney still has a big role to play for the three lions going forward.

Luka Modric - (Croatia 1 Turkey 0)

The former Tottenham Hotspurs man emerged as one of the finest midfielders in Europe, following his multi-million pound move to Real Madrid. The diminutive central operator is unrivalled when it comes to dropping off his marker and keeping possession ticking in the central third of the pitch. Modric was a league above his compatriots on the field against Turkey, and capped a memorable opening performance by hitting an exquisite volley to give his nation the win.

Grzegorz Krychowiak - (Poland 1 Northern Ireland 0)

Midfielder Krychowiak completed 71/79 passes in Poland's Euro opener, 18 of which came in the attacking third. The Number 10 also had one shot on goal, created one chance and had the better of his three aerial duels. It wasn't the prettiest of affairs but the win will be all that matters at this stage.

Toni Kroos - (Germany 2 Ukraine 0)

If the Real Madrid midfielder had to vie with Sami Khedira for the crown of best player on the park, Kroos's assist for the breakthrough and generally outstanding vision secured him the award. He created five chances, produced six crosses and made four dribbles. He also topped 100 completed passes with an impressive 38 in the attacking third. The role of commanding general which has for so long been held by the loyal custodian Bastian Schweinstiger looks like it is being passed on to Kroos, and it couldn't be in safer hands.