Barcelona youngster ‘very grateful’ to Xavi despite not getting many opportunities | OneFootball

Barcelona midfielder Marc Casado has acknowledged that although his senior team debut took longer than expected, he is content with how his development has unfolded.

It must be noted that Casado is now an integral part of Hansi Flick’s project at Barcelona. His situation under former coach Xavi was uncertain, but he has used the absences in Barcelona’s midfield to solidify his place in the first team’s starting XI.

While La Masia continues to produce rising stars, Casado’s story stands out as a testament to persistence. Unlike some of his peers, his breakthrough did not come until he turned 21, but he remains proud of his journey.

He believes that taking a longer path to reach the first team has given him the necessary experience to handle tougher challenges on the pitch.

“I have taken a slightly longer road, but I think that this has helped me to be where I am now and has given me experience to know which stadiums are more complicated,” admitted the midfielder as quoted by SPORT.

“This has helped me to be calmer now in Primera Division matches,” he added.

Casado is looking at the positives

Marc Casado is an integral part of Barcelona. (Photo by Eric Alonso/Getty Images)

Under Hansi Flick, Casado has made significant strides, benefiting greatly from the new manager’s trust.

Before Flick’s arrival, Casado had been called up to the first team 48 times by Xavi but saw minimal action, playing only 63 minutes across all competitions.

Despite the limited opportunities, Casado has maintained a positive attitude towards Xavi, showing gratitude for the chance to make his debut under the former coach.

“I didn’t have too many opportunities, but that helped me to be stronger mentally. Sometimes I saw that I could play, but I didn’t have the opportunity.

“Despite this, I am very grateful to Xavi. He was the coach who made me debut with the first team, so I will always be grateful to him,” he explained.

Looking ahead, Casado is unfazed by the potential return of key midfielders like Gavi, Dani Olmo, and Fermin Lopez, all nearing recovery from their respective injuries.

He views the increased competition in the squad as a positive factor, believing that it will push everyone to improve.

“Now we will recover many players in the squad, many from the midfield. The more of us there are, the more competition we will have and that will make us all improve,” he concluded.