Top 10 Spanish Players

Spain have produced a number of talented players over the years and especially since the turn of the 21st century as the majority of great Spanish players have come since then.

The only great Spanish player I can think of from before the 21st century would have to be Alfredo Di Stefano who was around during the 50's and 60's and had a great career at Real Madrid.

The majority of the great Spanish players were part of the side that dominated international football for a few years winning three major tournaments during that time in the 2008 and 2012 Euros and the 2010 World Cup.

There are signs that their current team could repeat the same feat with the young players they have in their team like Pedri, Gavi, Nico WIlliams and of course Lamine Yamal, who is already looking like a world class player at the age of just 18.

When I look back at the list, the player I really should've had on it was David Villa as he's Spain's record goal scorer and was one of the best strikers in the world on his day. I don't know how or why I didn't think of him when doing this list.

He wasn't the only big name not to make the list as the likes of Cesc Fabregas, David De Gea and Xabi Alonso also didn't make the cut.

Now here is the list:

Xavi

Andres Iniesta

Sergio Busquets

David Silva

Raul

Sergio Ramos

Gerard Pique

Carles Puyol

Iker Casillas

Jordi Alba

10. Jordi Alba

Alba was an attack minded full back on his day as he loved to bomb forward and get crosses into the box and his abilities going forward were what made him one of the best in his position.

He first emerged as a top class full back during Euro 2012 where he played a starring role for Spain as they went all the way and his performances at that tournament got him a big move to Barcelona.

He established himself as one of the best full backs in Europe by playing a key role in every success he achieved there including in the treble winning season in 2015.

He's recently retired from all forms of football and he's had some career as he's won multiple La Liga titles Copa Del Rey's, the Champions League and the Euros.

9. David Silva

Silva was an absolute magician on his day as he could do almost anything with the ball at his feet including beat players with a bit of skill and pick out passes from almost anywhere on the pitch.

He showed a lot of promise when he was at Valencia where he was a player with potential, but it was at Man City where he went on to become one of the best midfield players in Europe.

He took City onto another level when he arrived as he took them from being a team trying to finish in the top four of the Premier League to a top four Premier League team.

He played a key role in their success during the early years of the Sheikh Mansour era as City became one of the top teams in the Premier League.

He was also part of the Spain side that won those three major tournaments and he played an integral role in every single one of them.

8. Gerard Pique

Pique was one of the best defenders in Europe when he was in his prime as he was good in air, a good reader of the game and also very good on the ball.

He in some way changed the role of a central defender by being comfortable on the ball as he could carry the ball out of defence and into midfield and pick out a pass.

He won everything on offer in the game for both club and country and was an integral part of every successful he was part of with both Barcelona and Spain.

7. Iker Casillas

Casillas was the best keeper in the world when he was in his prime because of his incredible shot stopping abilities.

He pulled off many top class saves right throughout his career with both his hands and his feet and the saves he pulled off kept his team in games.

He first became the best keeper in the world during the Euros in 2008 where his solid performances between the sticks played a crucial role in Spain going all the way at that tournament.

He would go to cement himself as the best keeper in the world over the next few years by playing a key role in the success he would later achieve with both Spain and Real Madrid.

He won everything on offer in the game including three Champions League and five La Liga titles with Real Madrid, and both the 2008 and 2012 Euros and the 2010 World Cup with Spain.

6. Carles Puyol

Puyol had everything you wanted for a top quality central defender in that he was physical, strong, a good reader of the game and good in the air.

He was also a leader and his leadership on the pitch was key to every success he achieved with both Barcelona and Spain.

He won everything on offer in the game for both club and country including six La Liga titles and three Champions League's with Barcelona, and the 2008 Euros and 2010 World Cup with Spain.

5. Raul

Raul was a striker who had an addiction to score goals by staying in the six yard box and being in the right place and the at time to score goals.

His goal record throughout his career was incredible and especially when he was at Real Madrid as he netted an overall total of 323 goals with 228 of them coming in La Liga.

He was also the record Champions League goal scorer for a long time until Messi and Ronaldo came along and leapfrogged him in the all-time charts.

He's the only player on the list who wasn't part of any of Spain's successful sides during their dominance of international football as he retired from international football by that point.

4. Sergio Ramos

Ramos was very much like Marmite in that you either loved him or you hated him.

But he was still a world class defender because of his leadership, reading of the game, physicality and aerial ability.

He also liked to chip in with goals from both set pieces and open play and he got over 100 of them for Real Madrid which is some achievement for a central defender.

He was an integral part of every success he achieved with both Real Madrid and Spain because of his leadership and solid performances on the pitch.

He did pick up a lot cards throughout his career for which he has been criticized for, but he's still one of the greatest defenders to play the game.

3. Sergio Busquets

Busquets for me is the greatest holding midfielder of the modern era because of his ability to dictate play and make vital interventions when his team have needed him to.

He was an integral part of that excellent Barcelona side under Pep Guardiola by being the player that sat deep and protected the back four whilst giving the players ahead of him the freedom to express themselves.

He won everything on offer at Barca including nine La Liga titles, eight Copa del Rey's and three Champions League's and he had a key role to play in almost every single one of them.

He was also part of the Spain sides that won the 2010 World Cup and Euro 2012 where he played an integral part in both successes.

2. Andres Iniesta

Iniesta was one of the finest midfielders to play the game because of his ability to pick out any kind of pass and carry the ball up the pitch.

He was right up there among the best midfielders in Europe for many years because of the way he played the game and how influential a player he was.

He played an integral role in every successful side he was part of for both Barcelona and Spain whose styles of play suited him to a tee as they were both possession based.

He won nine La Liga titles, six Copa del Rey's and four Champions League's at Barcelona and two Euros and the 2010 World Cup with Spain.

1. Xavi

The top two was always going to be Xavi and Iniesta because of the incredible players they both were on their day.

But Xavi just edges it as he ran the show more in midfield and was arguably the better passer of a football.

He was one of the finest passers of a ball the game has ever seen because of his incredible vision and the ability he had to pick out any kind of pass from almost anywhere on the pitch.

He was the player who pulled the strings in the midfield for both Barcelona and Spain when both sides dominated the club and international stage respectively during the last 00's early 10's.

He won everything on offer with both teams including eight La Liga titles, three Copa del Rey's and four Champions League's with Barca, and two Euros and the 2010 World Cup with Spain.

MY TOP 10:

1. Xavi

2. Andres Iniesta

3. Sergio Busquets

4. Sergio Ramos

5. Raul

6. Carles Puyol

7. Iker Casillas

8. Gerard Pique

9. David Silva

10. Jordi Alba