5 players who returned to their boyhood clubs

5. Cesc Fabregas

Cesc Fabregas famously returned home to Barcelona in 2011 after waiting for years for the move

The previous entries in this list all returned to their boyhood club in the twilight of their careers, but for Spain’s Cesc Fabregas, his return to Barcelona was a little different in that he returned in his prime, and ended up winning plenty of trophies before moving on again later down the line. Still, the cultured midfielder’s return was no less emotional – nor less controversial.

Fabregas emerged in Barca’s famed La Masia academy, where he started his career aged just 10, but by 2003 – as a 16-year old – the midfielder sensed that playing opportunities at the Nou Camp could be limited, and so he made a switch to Arsenal’s academy, where he eventually made his way into the first team and became a key player for the Gunners.

In 2008/09 Fabregas was named as Arsenal’s new captain, but despite his clear love for the London club, media speculation soon began to pick up pace around a potential move back to his boyhood club. And when Spain won the 2010 World Cup – and Fabregas’s Barca-based teammates Gerard Pique and Carles Puyol pulled the famous red and blue shirt onto him – it was clear that something was up.

It took another season, but sure enough, Fabregas returned to the Blaugrana in the summer of 2011, and subsequently won numerous trophies with his boyhood club, including one La Liga title in 2012/13. After three seasons at the Nou Camp, Fabregas moved back to England with Chelsea – but his desire to return to Barcelona and success there showed everyone where his heart really lay.