Happy birthday Andres Iniesta! (11 May 1984)

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At the age of 12, Iniesta was spotted by Barça scouts at his local club Albacete Balompié. He was switftly signed and worked his way up the club ranks. Louis van Gaal handed him his debut on 29 October 2002, a UEFA Champions League game against Club Brugge. He appeared 11 times in the league in 2003-04, mostly as a deputy for Camp Nou favorite Ronaldinho, as Barça sealed second place, scoring once. In the 2004-05 season Iniesta successfully secured a permanent slot in the first team and figured in 37 of 38 league games - more than any other player. He displayed an unselfish attitude by regularly aiding strikers Eto'o and Ronaldinho but found the net just twice. Iniesta's improvement as a player continued in the 2005-06 and because of the absence of Xavi due to injury, he was given regular starts in midfield. The increased playing time offered to him at the highest level gave him the opportunity to blossom into a superb midfielder. His contribution to the team was praised by Coach Frank Rijkaard. His call-up to the Spanish squad for the World Cup has come as no surprise to football pundits. On the 22nd of August, 2006 Andres lifted the prestigious Joan Gamper Trophy as the captain of the team after defeating German side Bayern München 4-0.