Players like Xavi Hernandez don't come along often.
The Barcelona legend is one of the most gifted players to play the game of football and his playing style has prompted plenty of plaudits over the years.
The second most successful Spanish player in history, behind his fellow midfield genius and former club and national team colleague Andres Iniesta, we'll be fortunate to come across a player in the mould of Xavi again.
Image: PA
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Throughout his illustrious career, he has displayed an innate ability to dictate the tempo of the player, find space when things were tight and congested, and see passes that you didn't even think were on.
And though it would quite something for there to be a natural heir to Xavi's throne, the man himself is a big fan of a current midfield metronome and used the word "successor" when talking about him.
Xavi, currently playing for Al Sadd in Qatar, was talking about Real Madrid midfielder Toni Kroos.
Image: PA
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The former Bayern Munich man is at the heart of everything Real Madrid do, and has been in fine form for Zinedine Zidane's side again this term, keeping things ticking over wonderfully in midfield and playing a starring role in Real's first La Liga title in five seasons.
And Xavi is a big fan of all that Kroos does.
Speaking to Sport Bild, he said:
"Kroos is the engine of Real Madrid's game.
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"The way he plays reminds me a lot about myself - you could say that he is my successor in this position."
Stylistically, do you see similarities between Xavi and Kroos?
Do you think a different player is Xavi's true successor?
Let us know in the comments.
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(h/t Squawka)
Featured Image Credit: PATopics: Xavi, Barcelona, Toni Kroos, Real Madrid