Slovakia star Stanislav Lobotka will be looking to pass England into submission during Sunday's Euro 2024 clash... the old-style midfield artist is admired by Xavi and Andrea Pirlo and is always thinking three steps ahead

Stanislav Lobotka is the ultra-crafty playmaker aiming to follow in the footsteps of Andrea Pirlo and Luka Modric by passing England into submission.

Standing at 5ft 6ins, with his unfussy haircut and understated manner, Lobotka looks an unlikely modern footballer. Yet anyone who watches him play is unlikely to forget him in a hurry.

Operating at the heart of Slovakia’s central three, Lobotka is an old-style midfield artist for the modern game. Like an expert snooker or chess player, he is always thinking three or four steps ahead.

He has completed 172 of his 184 passes in the tournament but that tells only a fraction of the story. Lobotka’s range is complete: long, short, medium distance; left, right, forwards, backwards. Lobotka has the keys to this Slovakia team. If England let him also have the keys to Sunday’s last-16 tie in Gelsenkirchen, good luck getting them off him.

England have already made this mistake in big matches against Pirlo, Modric and Netherlands star Frenkie de Jong, not to mention Jorginho and Marco Verratti in the final of Euro 2020. It would not be wise to repeat the experience.

If Lobotka’s numbers don’t convince you, listen to the words of a master. His idol Xavi Hernandez won 28 trophies during a stunning career for Barcelona and Spain and during his two years as coach at the Nou Camp, he never hid his admiration for Lobotka.

Asked before a Champions League game between Barca and Napoli last March which player he would sign from the opposition, Xavi said: ‘I would choose Lobotka. I admire his game construction skills and his ability to retain possession.’

Pirlo is similarly enthusiastic. ‘The best playmaker in the Italian league,’ said the Italy great, who inspired victories over England at Euro 2012 and the World Cup two years later.’

It is a surprise that no Premier League club saw it Xavi and Pirlo do. When Lobotka was at Celta Vigo from 2017-2020, he was proposed to several English clubs and was available for little more than the £4m Celta had paid Danish club Nordsjaelland for him.

Asked about the response from the Premier League, a Spanish scout told Mail Sport: ‘Lukewarm would be an understatement. His height was a problem and there was a general sense that clubs didn’t really know who he was.

‘Because he didn’t score many goals for Celta he was criticised at the start of his spell there, until people realised that the money was well spent. It still surprised one or two that Napoli paid £20m for him though.’

As is so often the case for Cristiano Giuntoli – the sporting director who left Napoli for Juventus in July 2023 – it proved a smart move. Lobotka was a key member of the Napoli side who blew away the competition a year ago to win only the third Serie A title in their history – and their first without Diego Maradona in the team.

There seems little chance of Lobotka moving to the Premier League now. He turns 30 in November and with resale value prominent in the minds of recruitment chiefs, that is probably too old. He may also struggle with the speed and ferocity of the English game though as Modric showed during four years at Tottenham, you don’t have to look like a superhero to rule the midfield battleground.

Besides, Lobotka seems just fine where he is. ‘Napoli reached out to me and want me to stay with them,’ he said. ‘I'm happy there so I'll be staying. The people there have a great mindset, the weather is nice, the beaches are amazing, and the food is fantastic.’

That won’t stop a few sporting directors wondering why they did not listen more carefully to the scouts who were telling them they really should take a closer look at the classy midfielder weaving clever patterns for Celta Vigo.

And if Lobotka traps England is his web on Sunday, that sense of regret will only grow.