Falque: My all-Spanish dream team

Iker Casillas

“He’s as agile as a cat. I faced him a few times in La Liga. The trophies he’s won speak volumes for him – one World Cup and two European Championships with Spain as well as a glut of titles with Real Madrid, including three Champions Leagues. He’s the best goalie around.”

Michel Salgado

“I was born in Vigo and he played for Celta when I was young, back in the 1990s before he joined Real Madrid and went on to win the lot. He’s a player that puts his heart and soul into every match and he’s very aggressive – a super right-back.”

Sergio Ramos

“One of the best centre-backs in the world. He’s a modern defender. We just faced him in the Champions League and he really knows how to strike a balance between quality and quantity. He’s technically gifted and physically strong, and as well as making a fantastic contribution in defence he’s very good at coming out with the ball at his feet and getting the team moving.”

Fernando Hierro

“A player with great charisma. He was an aggressive, tactically intelligent footballer who was very good at dictating the movement of the whole defence. A top player.”

Sergi Barjuán

“He was a lightning-quick full-back and had a great career at Barcelona between the 1990s and the start of the new millennium. He was fantastic up and down the wing and I would definitely have him at left-back in my 4-4-2 formation.”

Xavi Hernandez

“A guiding light in the centre of midfield and an expert playmaker. One of countless greats at Barcelona in the last decade. He’s classy, intelligent and very consistent – I couldn’t not include him in my XI and I reckon that would be the same for almost everyone. He’s won everything there is to win, at international level too, and that’s no coincidence.”

Andres Iniesta

“One of the best players in the history of Spanish football and the game as a whole. Alongside Xavi, who Iniesta is similar to but with more of a nose for goal, he’s won everything with club and country. His thinking is one step ahead of everyone else and he can put the ball wherever he wants, whenever he wants. An absolute phenomenon.”

Rafael Martin Vasquez

“Another technically gifted player for my midfield. He had fantastic feet – I’ve seen clips of him playing and I’ve always been impressed with his ability.”

Juan Carlos Valeron

“I could have picked lots of players for the fourth midfield slot but I’ll go with Valeron because he’s from Galicia like me. When I was little, I loved watching him play for Deportivo La Coruña, who had real success at the start of the Noughties, not just in La Liga but in the Champions League too. He never played for a top club, but he had fantastic technical ability and a knack for scoring goals too, despite being a midfielder.”

Raul Gonzalez Blanco

“There’s no way I could have left Raul out up front. He scored goals throughout his career, even when he left Real when he got a bit older. He was a quality striker who could score goals any which way. His numbers tell you all you need to know – over 200 goals for Real Madrid and over 40 with Spain. He was also a really intelligent forward and he could make that decisive move in the penalty box a second earlier than anyone else, meaning he always got to the ball first.”

David Villa

“He’s the perfect mix of intelligence, speed and technical ability. He’s lethal in front of goal, one of the best centre-forwards of recent years for me.”