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Euro 2016 is upon us. After a season of hard work, a summer of graft. No rest for the wicked.

Uefa’s expanded, 24-team tournament gets underway in Paris on Friday 10 June. France, the hosts and bookmakers’ favourites, take on Romania.

A day later, it’s England’s turn, as Roy Hodgson’s men face Russia in Marseille. Could this finally be the year to end the long wait for a trophy?

Competition will be fierce, of course. Holders Spain, World Champions Germany and usual suspects Italy have their backers, while emerging forces such as Belgium, Portugal, Croatia or Austria could spring a surprise. Qualification results suggest the gap between the top nations and the rest is shrinking.

From a Liverpool perspective, there are plenty of reasons to keep your eye firmly fixed on the Euros - here are just a few....

The England contingent

Like at the World Cup in Brazil two years ago, Liverpool will be well-represented in Roy Hodgson’s England squad.

Five players – Nathaniel Clyne, James Milner, Jordan Henderson, Adam Lallana and Daniel Sturridge – were named in Hodgson’s initial 26-man selection, and all have made the final cut for France.

Clyne will compete with Tottenham’s Kyle Walker for a starting berth at right back, while Henderson, Milner and Lallana will all look to play their way into midfield contention.

Sturridge, who is back fit after a calf injury, is unlikely to displace Harry Kane as Hodgson’s main striker, but will be looking to make an impression when called upon.

Former Red Raheem Sterling is also in the squad, while former Liverpool boss (shudder) Hodgson is in the dugout.

The Group B rivals

If England are to make progress in France, they will need to overcome a couple of Liverpool men to do so.

They will face Joe Allen’s (and Danny Ward's) Wales in Lens on June 16, and finish their Group B campaign against Martin Skrtel’s Slovakia in Saint-Etienne on June 20.

Skrtel and Allen will go head-to-head in Bordeaux, incidentally, on June 11.

Irish eyes

For the first time in a major tournament, both Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland will compete together. Only Scotland are missing from the British Isles.

For Michael O’Neill’s Northern Ireland, it is their first tournament appearance since 1986, and their first ever European Championships. They are in with Germany, Ukraine and Poland in Group C.

Martin O’Neill’s Republic – featuring former Liverpool striker Robbie Keane – are in the ‘Group of Death’ with Belgium, Italy and Sweden in Group E.

Expect colour, noise, passion and fervour.

The Belgians

Listed as fifth favourites with most bookmakers, Marc Wilmots’ Belgium squad contains three Liverpool men.

Simon Mignolet is likely to spend his summer as understudy to Thibaut Courtois, but Divock Origi and Christian Benteke will hope to feature throughout the tournament.

And with the likes of Eden Hazard, Kevin De Bruyne, Mousa Dembele and Champions League final star Yannick Carrasco all in the squad, the Red Devils should have plenty of attacking oomph.

Emre, the Bundesliga boys and the transfer targets

The World Champions will have a Red among them, with Emre Can named in Joachim Low’s Germany squad.

And fans of the Bundesliga rumour mill will see a few names that may well be of interest too.

Jonas Hector and Leroy Sane have been linked with moves to Merseyside since Jurgen Klopp’s arrival. Unfortunately, Reds social media favourite Marco Reus will not be present, missing out through injury – just as he did at the World Cup two years ago.

Elsewhere, there are other players who have been rumoured to be on Liverpool’s radar strewn across the tournament.

They include Breel Embolo (Switzerland), Piotr Zielinski (Poland), Marc Bartra (Spain), Ante Coric (Croatia) and the Portugal duo of Raphael Guerreiro and Rafa Silva.