3 former Barcelona forwards who are still doing great at the clubs they play for
Barcelona are one of the most decorated clubs ever and a place where many legendary players have played. Andres Iniesta, Carles Puyol, Ronaldinho, Samuel Eto'o, Deco, Xavi Hernandez are some of the top footballers of recent times to don the jersey of the Spanish giants.
There were exceptionally gifted Barcelona players who played at the back, in the midfield, and as forwards.
However, in this article, we will look at 3 such strikers who are still active footballers and are killing it at the club they play for. Hence, without further ado, here are the three forwards:
#3 David Villa
David Villa Sánchez was undoubtedly one of the best players to play in Barcelona colours. The Spaniard started his playing career with Sporting Gijón B in 2000 before he moved to the main side of the club in 2001. After two seasons with Sporting Gijón, Villa moved to Zaragoza in 2003 and then Valencia in 2005.
The 36-year-old wreaked havoc with Valencia and was roped in by The Blaugrana in 2010 for €40 million transfer fee amidst much fanfare. He got the number 7 jersey at Barcelona and put up strong performances one after the other.
After a sensational debut season during which he scored 18 goals in 34 appearances, his 2nd season for the Spanish giants was cut short by an injury. He suffered a fracture in his tibia during a Club World Cup match against Al-Sadd Sports Club and was unable to play for the rest of the season, only managing 15 appearances during 2011-12.
8 months after being ruled out to the sidelines due to injury, Villa made a return during the 2012–13 season and came on as a substitute in the match against Dinamo Bucharest. The 36-year-old featured in the team mostly as a sub but still managed a staggering 16 goals in 39 appearances. Villa moved to Atlético Madrid following for the following season and helped them achieve their first league title since 1996.
After a solitary season with Los Rojiblancos, Villa signed for newly formed Major League Soccer club New York City, where he was also named the captain. He has been on a phenomenal run for The Pigeons and has 80 goals in 124 appearances for them. The striker is also a part of the select group of players who have scored 400 or more goals in their entire club career.
Villa is an extremely decorated player, having won two La Liga titles, UEFA Champions League, one UEFA Super Cup, one FIFA Club World Cup, one Copa del Rey with Barcelona; one La Liga title with Atletico Madrid.
Even though New York City are yet to win the MLS title, Villa has always led them from the front. He featured in all of the Major League Soccer All-Star Games (from 2015-18), and won the MLS MVP award for the best player in 2016.
It is not just club level where Villa does so well, he is an integral part of the Spanish national team as well.
Having scored 59 goals for Spain, he is the country's all-time top scorer and was also part of their 2010 FIFA World Cup-winning campaign, where he scored 5 goals, and he holds another national record for the maximum number of goals in a single World Cup campaign. NYC FC finished runners-up in the league during the 2017 season, their best ever finish.
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