Under the leadership of Johann Cruyff he made his full debut in 1990 and by the age of 20 was regarded as the most creative player in the team.

One of the generation of Spanish players who burst on to the international scene by winning gold at the 1992 Olympics, he usually plays in front of the Spanish defence and with an acute awareness of play most attacks begin with the ball at Guardiola's feet.

His career appeared in tatters in 1997 with a chronic hamstring injury keeping him out of the game for nearly a year, including the World Cup in France.

Now back to his best club form, he will be keen to make his mark in this year's European championships.