It’s almost rather unfortunate that this still needs reiteration, but it certainly does: Sergi Roberto is good at football. Really good.

So good, in fact, that Pep Guardiola once noted that Roberto was good enough to ‘play wherever he wants’. And it appears that either current Coach Luis Enrique took his predecessor’s words literally, or that Lucho sees similarities between the youngster’s style of play and his own.

It’s hard to think, though, that the natural midfielder was, at one stage, close to being lured away to a Stoke City side in search for creative players. Bojan Krkic, once labeled as La Masia’s most promising talent, had gone down that very path and there was little stopping Roberto from following suit.

But patience isn’t a virtue the 23-year-old lacks. The Tarragona native has been featuring in Barcelona’s pre-season tours since 2010, and yet his impressions have all been in vain. The man touted at the Catalans’ next big midfield star had faded and so a contract extension in 2014 came as a surprise.

Barcelona’s transfer ban and Enrique’s influence are possible explanations as the club wanted all bases covered. But with Xavi Hernandez departing during summer 2015, it seemed logical to give Roberto yet another chance. And with the window of opportunity open, the starlet left his mark in emphatic fashion.

Read the rest of my piece on Football Espana