Joshua Kimmich and Jerome Boateng headline UEFA Euro Team of the Tournament

Getting invited to the training camp for Euro 2016 was already a huge achievement for Bayern phenom, Joshua Kimmich. It was seen by most pundits as a sign of encouragement from Germany coach Joachim Löw, after his outstanding first season at FC Bayern Munich, but he was expected to be cut while more seasoned veterans would make the trip.

But his versatility bought him a ticket to France, beating out established names like Karim Bellarabi, and Germany's lack of true right backs offered Kimmich a chance to start.  He grabbed that opportunity by delivering excellent performances, earning high praise from all sides for his defensive work and forages down the wing.

Now, he's crowned his achievement, by being named to the UEFA Team of the Tournament, as the best right back at Euro 2016.  As Sir Alex Ferguson, one of the 13 technical observers who were responsible for the vote, elaborated:

After quite a bit of deliberation, the observers chose a team that features the best performing players from the best performing teams at UEFA EURO 2016. We have chosen dominant central defenders; full-backs who can defend and attack; deep-lying midfielders who can control the game and dynamic, flexible and creative attackers, all of whom have the ability to create and score goals. We believe that the selected XI represents the best of the competition.

Joining him are his Nationalmannschaft teammates, Bayern's Jerome Boateng and Real Madrid's Toni Kroos, along with the expected picks of Cristiano Ronaldo and Antoine Griezmann. Surprisingly, Gareth Bale, Wales' best player, did not make the cut.

Congratulations to Joshua, who has already been anointed by some as the heir apparent to Philipp Lahm, both for club and country.  Maybe that notion is not that far-fetched anymore.

Full UEFA Euro 2016 Best 11: Rui Patricio (POR), Raphael Guerrero (POR), Pepe (POR), Jerome Boateng (GER), Joshua Kimmich (GER), Toni Kroos (GER), Joe Allen (WAL), Antoine Griezmann (FRA), Aaron Ramsey (WAL), Dmitri Payet (FRA), Cristiano Ronaldo (POR)