A home-grown talent of enormous proportions, Xavi's footballing brain from the centre of the park continues to bring silverware for Barcelona... and Spain
The most famous export of the industrial Catalan town Terrassa, Xavi rose through the youth ranks at Barça before making his first team debut in October 1998. In the same month, he made his European debut against Manchester United. Many Barça cules doubt that their playmaker has given the ball away since.
Xavi overcome a serious ligament injury that kept him out for much of Barça’s epic 2005-06 season but the Catalan midfielder returned undiminished. Like Iniesta, the diminutive Xavi brings balance and brains to Barça’s engine.
Added to that is a ball-winning bite and experience: by 2008, Xavi was in his tenth first team season, having played over 300 games by the age of 25. A Spanish international, he was an ever-present in the side which won Euro 2008.