Cesc Fàbregas was a supremely gifted central midfielder whose vision and range of passing made him a creative force for club and country. Schooled at Barcelona, he made his name at Arsenal, becoming captain as a young man and one of the Premier League’s finest playmakers, before returning to Barcelona and later starring for Chelsea, where he won further league titles.
With Spain he was part of the golden generation that won the 2010 World Cup and successive European Championships, providing the assist for the winning goal in a World Cup final. A metronomic passer with an instinct for the killer ball, he later added a spell in France with Monaco to a decorated career.