Proving your worth, the Jordi Alba way

A cold night at Bernabeu. Every Barcelona fan gutted to see their side about to draw 2-2 to Real Madrid. The clock winds down. The minutes go past and all that is left is one single minute on the clock.

Sergi Roberto gets a sudden burst of pace and goes from right back spot to attacking-mid in a matter of 10 seconds. The ball comes in from the left-flank, dragging the whole defense out of shape. A certain Lionel Messi pops out of nowhere to sink Madrid hearts at the last minute of the game.

The shirt, the heartbreak, the wild run - everything is in the papers the next day.

But what almost everyone failed to notice was the clutch moment in the run of play. There was one single pass from the left wing that was perfectly positioned and weighted, right on the spot for Messi to shape the shot.

Where did that come from? Who cares? In the rush of the hour, the ball was all that was noticed, and then the magic left foot came in. All the attention was taken away from the man even smaller than the diminutive Argentine, a man who ran his heart out in the other wing.

While Roberto was emptying his fuel tank to get a pass to Andre Gomes, this man came running in for the overlap through the left wing. Once the ball came in his direction, he gave one single touch, and the ball threaded its way where his mind wanted it to go.

It was something uncanny. It didn't require anything more. It was just an ordinary pass practised to utter perfection.

That is exactly how it feels when we listen to the riffs coming in from Kurt Cobain’s guitar. The wrong cord would never be strung.

Or it could be the falsettos of Michael Jackson. They vocal cord cannot miss a beat and the pitch. Put every ounce of technology into detecting a frequency change, but it still won’t materialize.

That is the exact thing that happens with the one-touch pass from Jordi Alba. Nobody notices the ordinary perfection that leads to the extraordinary result.

Always a kid with small height but immense pace, Alba was dubbed 'MotoGP' in his childhood. Yet, this man was at his weakest when Luis Enrique was in charge of FC Barcelona.

The left wing was already preoccupied with Neymar Jr. The Brazilian needed the whole left flank for himself, and he demanded the ball at most times. Where could Alba have showcased his pace then?

His talent stayed hidden. He wasn’t the most important player during Barcelona’s treble win.

What was Jordi Alba before coming to Barcelona? A La Masia product of short stature. A former captain who had to leave the youth ranks due to his height.

Even then, he had to prove himself to return to Barcelona. He went on to play for Valencia and became a fan favorite at the Mestalla. He proved himself enough to return to Barcelona, and came back in 2010.

The decision to return to Barcelona wasn’t welcomed by those at Mestalla.

It was the 2017-18 season, with Valencia vs Barcelona at Mestalla to decide who went on top of the table. The first half was all Barcelona. Messi and Iniesta played a game of their own. And this short man at the left flank, always striding up and down the pitch, linked up beautifully with Messi.

The jeering never got to his ears. The crowd were wasting their voices by whistling and screaming at him. They celebrated in his face when they took the lead after a disallowed Barcelona goal.

But the short left back kept pushing the case for the equalizer. This time around, Messi did him the favor. An immaculate lob over the defense, and Alba beat the offside trap.

He controlled the ball with precision, looked Neto in the eye, glanced at the crowd behind the goal and said in his mind, ‘I win’. The ball slammed past the back of the net, the jeers were reduced to murmurs, and Alba blew a kiss to his former fans.

Not a shut up sign, not a finger on the lips, just a kiss. A kiss of death, to be more precise.

If he had proved to the Valencia fans that jeering him was a bad option, then he also proved to the Spanish national team coach that he was fit to start at the World Cup.

But Luis Enrique remained ignorant of him. Gaya and Marcos Alonso received call-ups ahead of him to the national team. What could Alba do? Enrique dismissed him when he was the head coach at Barcelona and he did the same at Spain.

Alba was questioned by the media. He didn’t feel a need to answer them. “I try my best, I didn’t expect it.” And that was it by the Barcelona left-back.

He continued his routine from the start of 2018-19 season. Run up the flanks, provide width, cross inside. He scored against Huesca and shut both his eyes as a signal to Enrique. “Why always me, boss?" - that's what the gesture seemed to have written all over.

Alba continued to do what he does. From assisting the first goal to Coutinho in the El Clasico to scoring the game-winner against Inter, he kept pushing.

Motivation is nothing but an action of dopamine. The neurotransmitter drug keeps us happy and motivated. Perhaps Alba regularly eats a whole lot of chocolates and avocados. Whatever the reason, the drive that he had to prove himself to Luis Enrique was visible.

In the end, who won? Alba did. Enrique has named him in the squad for the upcoming international break.

Enrique seemed to have a grudge against Alba, but how long could he keep his eyes shut? Alba's form never seems to run out. He is the most consistent performer in the team, and the only one who is assured of his spot - because there are no back-ups for him.

If you ever have to prove your worth, to your haters, to your own people or to your superiors, do it like Alba. Don’t speak much, let your actions speak, and force them into conceding that you are the best.

After all, Jordi Alba is currently the best in his position. His face or his name might not hit the headlines regularly, but the moments he creates last long in memory.

Be like Alba. Prove your worth.