Sky Sports pundit Henry gives us an insight into Xavi's influence and attitude to life at Barcelona in the last 17 years
Friday 5 June 2015 13:44, UK
Xavi is "Mr Barcelona" and will be sorely missed as he prepares to depart Barcelona, says former team-mate and Sky Sports pundit Thierry Henry.
Xavi has won 24 trophies in 17 years in Barcelona's first-team, and the Champions League final against Juventus in Berlin on Saturday will be his last game for the club.
And Henry, who played with Xavi at Barcelona for three seasons between 2007 and 2010, has given an insight into the 35-year-old's attitude to life at the Nou Camp.
"For me, he's Mr Barcelona, like Tony Adams was Mr Arsenal," Henry told Sky Sports.
"He won everything that he could win. It's like the maestro with the orchestra, that's what he was for me.
"He's the type of guy who'll get really upset if he loses a ball in training. That will drive him mad.
"You have to give him his credit because we're not talking about someone who passes the ball sideways or back to his goalkeeper.
"People will bring you stats sometimes and say a player is amazing because he doesn't lose the ball - but I could do that if I always pass it to my goalkeeper, the full back or the centre back.
"Xavi is always trying to play that ball forward because he has vision. He loves Barcelona, and is a Barcelona fan and for me, he's Mr Barcelona."
Xavi is to join Qatari side Al-Sadd in a three-year-deal after the Champions League final and Henry compares his departure to that of Frank Lampard and Steven Gerrard in the Premier League.
"It's another sad day," Henry added. "We saw Stevie G leaving Liverpool, we've seen Frank Lampard leaving the Premier League and we're seeing another great in Xavi.
"I know he's going to be still playing (in Qatar) but we're not going to be seeing his games .
"The word 'great' doesn’t do him justice. This is an amazing, unbelievable, brilliant player that's about to leave us."
Thierry Henry will be in Berlin for Sky Sports' live coverage of the Champions League final on Saturday from 6pm live on Sky Sports 1 and 5 HD
