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Everton are one of 'several' Premier League clubs interested in Sweden starlet Marcus Berg following his sparkling hat-trick against Belarus - we took a closer look to find out just how good he is.

Throughout the European U21 Championship we will be compiling scouting reports on some of the continent's biggest talents.

Background:

Berg is fast acquiring a reputation in Holland as a real goal poacher, having netted 15 league goals in his first season with Groningen following a move from IFK Gothenburg in 2007.

Last season the 22-year-old striker added a further 17 for the Eredivisie club, taking his tally to 32 in just 56 games played.

That kind of form earned him a call-up to the full Sweden side in February last year and a maiden international goal soon followed - on his sixth international appearance, a World Cup qualifier against Malta earlier this month.

Standing six feet, Berg is equally adept in the air as on the ground, where he is comfortable with either foot, links up play well and possesses a natural eye for goal.

Such is his burgeoning reputation, and the fact that his current contract runs until the summer of 2011, it is thought a sizeable fee will be needed to wrest him away from Groningen. AZ Alkmaar and Lazio, along with Everton, among a host of interested parties.

And his performance in Sweden's opening match against Belarus is certain to have upped his value considerably.

Berg's agent told Eurosport that several Premier League clubs had called him immediately after the game to register their interest.

Put simply, Berg was sensational in Malmo. He displayed his full repertoire on his way to bagging a brilliant hat-trick - a mazy dribble for the first, a clinical volley for the second and a poacher's goal for the third.

He could have rounded it all off with a header late on, but even that miss will do little to avoid the inevitable comparisons with a rather more celebrated Swedish export, Zlatan Ibrahimovic.

Key moments:

29' - Shows good vision with a neat lay-off for Emir Bajrami, who stabs wide of the mark.

34' - Delivers an inch-perfect cross towards the far post for Ola Toivonen to blaze over the bar.

38' - Shows his strength by bouncing off two Belarus defenders before skilfully taking the ball around a third and slotting coolly past the keeper to notch his first of the night.

44' - Talk about a good finish. Toivonen clips the ball through for him to run on to and volley first-time into the bottom left hand corner.

66' - Again displays good awareness of what is happening around him by stepping over on the edge of the box. Elm can't finish.

81' - His hat-trick comes when he gets to a through ball ahead of the keeper to lob on the volley into an unguarded net.

87' - Launches a diving header which is clawed away by the keeper. So close to a fourth.

Dribbling - 8/10

Pace - 8/10

Movement - 8/10

Passing - 8/10

Finishing - 10/10

Approximate value: £12m

Proposed destinations: Everton, Blackburn, Fulham.

OTHER NOTABLE PLAYERS IN ACTION

SWEDEN (v Belarus)

Mattias Bjarsmyr - The central defender, a reported West Brom target, looked solid enough in his side's opener, although he was rarely tested by an impotent Belarus strike force.

Could do nothing about the goal.

BELARUS (v Sweden)

Sergei Kryvets - The Bate Borisov man was billed as one of the best players in the tournament before Belarus kicked off their campaign, but he showed little evidence of that against the hosts.

Ineffective throughout and was eventually substituted without fanfare.

ITALY (v Serbia)

Mario Balotelli - The Internazionale striker certainly looked dangerous with his audacious dribbling, despite being carefully marked by a well-organised Serbian defence.

But as well as being dangerous to opponents, he'll be a danger to himself and his team if he doesn't sort out his attitude. Was booked early on for petulantly throwing the ball away, and could easily have been sent off before half time for a truly cringeworthy dive.

Sebastian Giovinco - Might be short on stature, but he's big on skill. Full of running throughout the match, Giovinco was Italy's standout player - and had his long-range shooting been a little sharper, might well have broken the stalemate.

Like Balotelli, though, there are quesionmarks about his temperament: he spent much of the second half doing nothing but trying to earn bookings for opposition defenders with some depressingly cynical diving.

Marco Motta - Italy's defence was outstandingly solid almost throughout, but Motta was the only one of their number who looked like threatening at the other end. The terrific firepower of his long-range shooting suggests that he'll bag at least one goal during the Championship.

SERBIA (v Italy)

Zoran Tosic - Fergie's scouts clearly saw something in the young playmaker when they brought him to Old Trafford in January, and on this evidence they knew what they were doing. A hugely intelligent player, adept at looking for space and with the technical skill to deliver decent passes good enough to take advantage when he saw it. At the heart of most of his side's attacks.

Gojko Kacar - Spent long periods of the match in relative anonymity, but when the Serbs kicked into gear in the final half hour he really began to shine - not least with the bicycle kick that was so nearly the goal of the tournament.

Zeljko Brkic - Not on our radar before tonight, but the Vojvodina keeper's performance against Italy saved his defence's blushes as the Italians ran riot in the first half.

Mike Hytner / Eurosport