Xavi Named Two England ‘Golden Generation’ Players Who Could Have Played For Barcelona

The Barcelona team led by Pep Guardiola had arguably the greatest midfield of all time, comprised of Sergio Busquets, Andres Iniesta, and, of course, Xavi. The trio dominated European football and allowed the likes of Lionel Messi to flourish further up the pitch.

With such talent and a foundation that on the surface seemed impenetrable, it is hard to imagine any other players being able to break the mould and dislodge any of the three. However, Xavi once revealed the two English players he believed would have been good enough to find their way into that Los Cules starting XI.

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Xavi Claims Gerrard and Lampard Could’ve Played for Barcelona

The club’s former manager explained what made the English duo good enough

Speaking to the BBC back in 2014, Xavi was asked about which English players he would have relished playing alongside. Having named a couple of players from a previous generation, he turned his attention to those actively playing and stated that Steven Gerrard and Frank Lampard would have been able to make an impact on that special side.

The duo were crucial elements of England’s golden generation and are both considered to be among the greatest midfielders to ever represent the Three Lions. Giving his reasoning as to why they would fit in at the Camp Nou, Xavi explained:

“I would have in my team any top technically-gifted player. 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.”

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Xavi Reveals the English Players He Admired Growing Up

A Southampton legend is a surprise inclusion

In the same interview, Xavi was asked if there were any English stars that had a profound impact on him growing up, to which he revealed that he used to love watching former Southampton man Matt Le Tissier when he was growing up. The ex-Spanish international also gave special praise to Paul Gascoigne and John Barnes.

“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,” Xavi recounted. “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.”

When asked who he thought had the biggest future in the English game, the World Cup and Champions League winner selected Jack Wilshere, who would unfortunately be forced to retire within a decade due to a buildup of injuries, seeing his incredible potential unfulfilled.

Harry Kane (Spurs), Jack Wilshere (Arsenal), Steven Gerrard (Liverpool)

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All statistics courtesy of Transfermarkt – accurate as of 11/03/2025.

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