Xavi Hernandez

 

Though christened Xavier Hernandez Creus by his parents in 1980, you'll frequently hear Xavi Hernadez referred to by his fans as well as his teammates on the La Liga Club, Barcelona, as "the X-Man". The native Spaniard is the star midfielder for Barcelona and a key player on the Spanish National Team, as well. Having reached the age of thirty, he has tallied up an impressive array of statistics and awards. Though he is not a youngster, at least not by today's standards, Xavi doesn't seem ready to retire any time soon. After all, he is still busy adding to his fame and his fortune, not to mention to the throng of fans who follow his career on and off the field with avid interest.
Under contract to La Liga's Barcelona team until 2014 after having extended his old contract during the 2008/09 Season, Xavi's new contract makes him one of Barcelona's top earning players with a salary around €7.5 million annually. He holds several team records including being second on the list for most team appearances. He overtook Calres Rexach in February of 2009 to achieve the feat and with over 450 appearances so far, is gaining ground on Migueli's record of 548.
In addition to showing up to play, he plays well. He leads La Liga in the "assists column" and during this season has been noted by many for his contributions to the Barcelona side. The press and soccer aficionados have called Xavi one of the best, if not the best, center midfielders ever. Though he had been considered a top rung player for quite some time, many are now saying he has the talent and sheer physical ability to enjoy favorable comparisons with midfield greats such as Lothar Matthaus and Michel Plantini. The Spanish press awarded gave Xavi Hernandez a nod when they named him player number three in their best of La Liga list just this month. Coming in behind players like Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo is nothing for a footballer to be ashamed of!
In addition to his great club play, the X-Man is a regular on Team Spain's squad and has enjoyed success with them at several tournaments, most notably in the UEFA Euro 2008 when they went on to win and take home the prize for Barcelona and for his efforts was awarded the title of Player of the Tournament by UEFA officials.