Barcelona Legend Xavi Picks His All-Time British Starting XI

Barcelona midfielder Xavi has never hidden the fact that he is a big fan of English football, and now he has revealed his all-time British XI. 

Xavi named a 3-5-2 team for an article in ShortList magazine, and it makes for interesting reading. 

For starters, Welshman Ryan Giggs was the only non-English player to make the team, while the selections of Fraser Forster and Theo Walcott might raise some eyebrows. 

Xavi also said of Paul Scholes that he's "Technically the best English player since Matt Le Tissier, who I grew up watching. Just unbelievably gifted."

However, there is no place in the side for Le Tissier, despite Xavi's kind words for the ex-Southampton man. 

The oldest player on the list is Paul Gascoigne, and Xavi explained his decision saying: "You must work hard as a player, but there has to be natural ability. [Gascoigne] was a natural genius. He was a real inspiration to me when I was a kid at La Masia, and I just hope that whatever issues he has, he is able to sort them out."

You can see Xavi's full team below.

MANU FERNANDEZ/Associated Press

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You can read his reasoning for each selection in ShortList.