Barcelona's top 10 academy graduates

Modified Jan 05, 2020 17:37 GMT

Lionel Messi is just one great player to be produced by Barcelona's academy

#4 Carles Puyol

Carles Puyol captained Barca to 17 major trophies

Central defender Carles Puyol – instantly recognisable by fans due to his curly mop of hair – signed with Barcelona in 1995 as a 17-year old, and didn’t depart the Nou Camp until his retirement at the age of 36, ending his career as one of football’s rare one-club men. In the end, Puyol made almost 600 appearances for La Blaugrana, becoming a legend in the process.

Puyol broke into the first team at the Nou Camp in the summer of 1999 under boss Louis Van Gaal, and was quickly converted from a right-back to a central defender. It turned out to be the right call, and over the next few seasons he was a first team regular, and was promoted to be club captain at the end of 2003-04.

It was with Puyol as captain that Barca had their most fruitful years; the defender held the armband as the Catalan side won 2 La Liga titles and the Champions League under boss Frank Rijkaard, and when Pep Guardiola took over the reins, he remained a key player, captaining the side to a further 4 league titles and two more Champions Leagues. By the time he retired in 2014, Puyol had lifted 17 trophies at the club, all as captain.

About the author

Scott is a veteran MMA writer with over two decades of experience, including his ongoing tenure in Sportskeeda, which began seven years ago. He has written over 3000 pieces for the organization, while also covering football. Before joining Sportskeeda, Scott wrote articles for websites like The Oratory and Inside Pulse MMA.

Scott has a degree in history, which drives his research skills and helps him compile accurate information. His long stint in the field helps Scott provide a clear take on important topics, such as the criticism of promotions regarding fighter pay. While he feels fighters deserve a bigger revenue share, he doesn’t want MMA to suffer with purse-split issues.

Scott’s work has been previously reshared by the former UFC middleweight champion Chris Weidman. He uses credible sources, such as the UFC’s official website, during the writing process.

His dedication to MMA writing won him the Feature Writer of the Month award for Sportskeeda in November 2021.

Outside of work, Scott likes to go to the gym, walk his dog, and travel.

Know More

Edited by A. Ayush Chatterjee