Xavi is one of the greatest midfielders of all-time and is regarded as one of the smartest men to ever play football. His mind for the sport was just unmatched and as such, any opinion he shares on the beautiful game holds a lot of weight. He’s also played against and played alongside some of the very best footballers to ever grace a pitch.
As a result, he knows a thing or two about talent. In the past, the former Barcelona man was asked to name his all-time greatest British XI and he did so via ShortList magazine back in 2014. The results, and some of the inclusions, were very interesting to say the least. Let’s take a look at the team he named below.
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Xavi’s All-Time British XI |
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|---|---|
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Position |
Player |
|
GK |
Fraser Forster |
|
CB |
Sol Campbell |
|
CB |
Rio Ferdinand |
|
CB |
John Terry |
|
CM |
Paul Scholes |
|
CM |
Paul Gascoigne |
|
CM |
Frank Lampard |
|
RW |
Ryan Giggs |
|
LW |
Steven Gerrard |
|
ST |
Theo Walcott |
|
ST |
Wayne Rooney |
Goalkeeper & Defence
Forster, Campbell, Ferdinand & Terry
Right off the bat, Xavi’s team has a wild inclusion as he named Fraser Forster the best British goalkeeper of all-time. That’s a wild statement now in 2024, but it was just as absurd back in 2014 when the Spaniard picked his team. It was the former Celtic star’s performances against Xavi that earned him a spot, though, with the ex-midfielder saying: “Barcelona have met Celtic four times in recent seasons, and every time Forster put in an incredible performance. In the games we’ve played, he’s made some of the best saves I have ever seen.”
His backline was a little more to be expected, however. Picking three centre-backs, he chose three of the best in Premier League history. First, he has Sol Campbell included. His performance against Barcelona in the 2006 Champions League final impressed Xavi and he said: “When we beat Arsenal in the [2006] final, he scored a great headed goal, and it summed up the player he is. The sort of central defender you expect England to produce: big, strong and very hard to get the better of.”
He also included Rio Ferdinand in his side and credited the former Manchester United player for his style of play and thought he’d have been well-fitted to playing for Barcelona. He said: “He is part of Manchester United’s history, playing a big role in winning so many titles. He is strong but he can play. He’ll pass the ball out of defence when he has the opportunity, and that is reminiscent of the Barcelona style.”
His final defender was John Terry. Regarded as one of the best defenders of all-time, even Xavi, who wasn’t a fan of Chelsea, had to appreciate him. The Spaniard said: “I have not always been complimentary about how Chelsea play, because it is the opposite of what we stand for at Barcelona. But I can’t deny that Terry is one of the most committed English players I’ve played against, and a great leader for club and country.”
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Midfield
Scholes, Gascoigne, Lampard, Giggs & Gerrard
While the figures included in Xavi’s midfield are all worthy names, the positions he employed them in was pretty wild. He picked Paul Scholes as one of his three central midfielders. Speaking about the former Manchester United man, he said: “Technically the best English player since Matt Le Tissier, who I grew up watching. Just unbelievably gifted. Every time I played against him or watched him on TV he made everything look so easy. I’ve never seen anyone make playing that well look so effortless.”
Alongside Scholes, he named Paul Gascoigne. The Englishman is one of the most skillful players in Premier League history and Xavi was a big fan, saying: “You must work hard as a player, but there has to be natural ability. [Gascoigne] was a natural genius. He was a real inspiration to me when I was a kid at La Masia, and I just hope that whatever issues he has, he is able to sort them out.”
The final player he picked in the centre of the park was Frank Lampard. The former Chelsea star scored goals like no other midfielder around. That was something Xavi appreciated and he talking about the Englishman, he said: “One of the few midfield players in the world with the goal-scoring record of a striker. To consistently score the goals he has from midfield is such an achievement, and technically he’s excellent too.”
On the wing, he picked Ryan Giggs for the right flank. No one has assisted more goals than the Welshman in Premier League history and his legacy is undeniable. Xavi respected Giggs’ ability to adapt with age and when explaining his decision to include him in this team, he said: “One of the few midfield players in the world with the goal-scoring record of a striker. To consistently score the goals he has from midfield is such an achievement, and technically he’s excellent too.”
The final player he selected in midfield was Steven Gerrard. On the surface, including the former Liverpool man was a no-brainer. Having him on the left wing is pretty unorthodox, though. Xavi was a big fan, though, and thought the star could have played for Barcelona, saying: “John Barnes was one of the first midfield players I remember watching and appreciating his technical skill. Gerrard is just as good and, like Frank [Lampard], he has every attribute you need to be a Barcelona player.”
Strikers
Walcott & Rooney
Moving onto the forwards, Xavi made the surprising decision to name Theo Walcott as one of the greatest British forwards of all-time. The former Arsenal man had a solid career in the top flight, but never quite reached the lofty heights many expected from him early in his career.
Still, his pace caused a lot of issues for his opposition and the Spaniard was impressed. Talking about his decision to include Walcott, he said: “We were playing Arsenal in London [in 2010], and we were winning 2-0, in total control. There was no way we should have done anything but win the game. Then they introduced Theo Walcott. He changed the game for them and it finished 2-2. We didn’t know how to deal with his pace.”
The final player in Xavi’s team was Wayne Rooney. The former England captain is United’s all-time leading goalscorer and had a fine career. He scored some very important goals, won just about everything there was to win in club football and he’s regarded as one of the best British footballers ever. Speaking about Rooney back in 2014, Xavi said: “Wayne was very complimentary about the way Barcelona play. He would have fitted into our style of play no problem, but Manchester United would never have wanted to let one of the best players in the world leave. He’s still the player who makes things happen for them.”