Now firmly established in his career as a manager, Xavi embarked on a legendary playing career before entering the world of coaching. The Spaniard spent all of his European playing days with Barcelona, debuting for the club in 1998 under the management of Louis van Gaal.
From there, Xavi went from strength to strength, quickly cementing his place in the first team, which he would hold for well over a decade. Along with Iniesta and Sergio Busquets, Xavi was part of one of Europe’s greatest midfields at Barcelona, particularly under the reign of Pep Guardiola.
Xavi won countless honours in Catalonia, including eight La Liga titles and four Champions Leagues, before departing Barcelona in 2015 for Qatari side Al Sadd, who he would retire with after four further years of playing. Success for Xavi was not limited to club honours, as the midfielder also won two Euros and a World Cup on international duty with Spain.
One of the 21st century's greatest midfielders, Xavi has since worked as a manager with both of the clubs he played for. Such was his calibre as a player particularly, that any opinion regarding football from Xavi should definitely be listened to.
Back in 2016, Xavi spoke to the Independent and named a player who, as a youngster, the former midfielder was “obsessed with.”
‘Outrageous, Sickening Goals’
Xavi full of praise for former Premier League great
A one-club man for the entirety of his senior career, Matt Le Tissier spent 16 years playing for Southampton, debuting for the side in 1986. Over the years, Le Tissier developed into one of the best attacking midfielders in the Premier League, even making eight appearances for the English national team between 1994 and 1997.
Matt Le Tissier Career Stats
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Discussing the Southampton legend, Xavi stated:
“In Catalonia, there used to be a half-hour programme every Monday where they’d show the best goals from the Premier League. Every week, Matt Le Tissier would be on the show. I’m talking outrageous, sickening goals.
“Straight in the top corner, left-foot flick and then right over a defender and score against Newcastle. We used to say, ‘This guy, Le Tissier, is outrageous and he never goes to a big team. He stays at Southampton. It’s incredible. He could play for anyone. Our whole house was obsessed with him.”
As Xavi touched on, Le Tissier never moved away from Southampton for the whole of his professional career, despite being the recipient of constant interest from other teams. A penalty specialist, Le Tissier possessed an exceptional passing range at his peak and could strike a ball as well as the best.
Le Tissier, during his time at Southampton, helped the club remain in the top flight for the entirety of his time as a player. Such was Le Tissier’s ability that it should not be shocking to learn Xavi idolised him, even if the geographical distance of the two makes the fact a touch surprising.
(All stats are from Transfermarkt and are correct as of 07/05/2025 )
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