Arsenal's youngest player, an FA Cup winner at 18 and a European Champion at 21. Not bad for a lad that cost about 27p from Barcelona.
Fabregas became Arsenal’s youngest ever player in October 2003, making his debut against Rotherham in the Carling Cup, aged 16 years and 177 days. His appearances were fleeting for the next couple of years, but once Patrick Vieira departed for Juventus, the Spaniard stepped up to the plate and has been a regular ever since.
Fabregas shows maturity beyond his years and is now the heartbeat of the Gunners’ side. Calm and assured under pressure, his pinpoint passing links defence to attack and in 2007/08 he added goals to his game, making him the complete midfielder. Little wonder former club Barcelona, as well as Real Madrid, are keen admirers.