Xavi had zero doubts when naming the two England players who could play in prime Barcelona team featuring Lionel Messi
Xavi Hernandez named Steven Gerrard and another member of England's so-called 'Golden Generation' as players who could have played for prime Barcelona.
The Spaniard, who is described as being "one of the best midfielders in history" on Barca's official website, would lift eight La Liga titles and four Champions Leagues during his spell with the Catalan giants.
In total, Xavi spent 17 trophy-laden years in the Barcelona first-team, where he shared a pitch with some of the all-time greats, including Lionel Messi, Andres Iniesta and Ronaldinho.
But he never played alongside an English player during that time.
Advert
With that being said, the former Spain international has previously been asked to name some English players he would have "loved" to play alongside at Barcelona.
Speaking to Match of the Day in 2014, he said: "I would have in my team any top technically-gifted player. John Barnes was one, Paul Gascoigne another."
He added: "Gerrard could have played for Barcelona, as could Lampard. They're players with top-quality technique. Here we prioritise technique over the physical aspect of the game. So a lot of English players could play for Barcelona."
Asked if he had any British idols growing up, Xavi added: "I remember John Barnes, Paul Gascoigne and Matt Le Tissier. We used to watch a lot of English football. They used to show highlights and Le Tissier scored some spectacular goals.
"I remember the European Championships in England with Gascoigne playing some great matches and remember the 'sombrero' at Wembley [Gascoigne's goal against Scotland]. It was spectacular."
Xavi would go on to name former Arsenal midfielder Jack Wilshere as an "amazing player" after being prodded for his favourite English player.
He added: "Raheem Sterling has a great future ahead of him. Then there's the older guys such as Steven Gerrard, Frank Lampard and John Terry. They're part of English history, winning every single title."
The midfielder would later play down the idea of playing in the Premier League as he reaffirmed his desire to play for boyhood club Barcelona.
"The Premier League is a very attractive. Liverpool, for example, is a team that has something special - the stadium, the fans, everything. But I always prioritise Barcelona - it's my life, it's my world. I am lucky and wouldn't change it for anything," he said.
"Matt Le Tissier never left Southampton, so I think it was a good thing for him, however nowadays there are few cases of this. But I have had the luck of being with Barcelona for so many years."
Topics: Xavi, Spain, FC Barcelona
Jack Kenmare