He is a strong tackler with good positional sense who has been a rock for Spain and Barcelona for many years.

He made his international debut in 1991 and played in the 1994 and 1998 World Cups and Euro 96.

However, injury and the loss of his first-team place at Barça meant that he fell foul of José Antonio Camacho's policy of picking only regular club starters, and he only played in one qualifier, the 3-2 defeat to Cyprus.