Cesc Fabregas is a midfielder for Spain and Arsenal in the English Premier League. He is an intelligent and brilliant midfielder who can do the whole lot – passing comes easy to him, he seems at home getting tackles in, and always seems to be on hand when Arsenal are in need of a last-gasp goal! Fabregas plays in the centre of midfield, has Arsenal, and is pushing for a regular spot with Spain after some electric performances in their Euro 2008 campaign that saw Fabregas and his team-mates dancing down Las Ramblas.
Fabregas was born on 4th May 1987 in Barcelona, and was a boyhood fan of Barca. He was taken to Camp Nou for his first match aged just 9, and loved the club dearly – Brazilian Ronaldo became his favourite player. He was spotted by Barcelona as a 12 year old, and went on to play in their junior teams.
Fabregas excelled in the Barcelona youth teams, and was part of the Spanish U17 team that tore all the opposition apart in 2003 – ending as the top scorer and taking home the Player of the Tournament trophy. Aged just 16 years old, Fabregas wanted to start playing first-team football but could see that his path to the top was blocked at Barcelona by some fantastic central midfielders who were in their prime.
On 11th September 2003, Cesc Fabregas made the difficult decision of turning his back on his favourite team and moving to a club with more first-team opportunities. Because he had not signed a professional contract with Barca, Arsenal were able to sign him for nothing.
Arsene Wenger assured Cesc that he would get chances in the first XI, and was as good as his word, fielding Fabregas for his debut in October 2003 against Rotherham in the League Cup. He didn’t get a chance to play in the Premier League, so was not eligible for a winners medal when Arsenal clinched the Premiership, but was happy to be learning from the likes of Patrick Vieira and Gilberto Silva.
Fabregas made his breakthrough at the very start of the 2004/05 season. With Vieira injured, Cesc was given his first start in the Community Shield against Manchester United, and performed admirably. More opportunities followed, with his determination and goals proving that he was good enough, even if he was only 17! He helped Arsenal win the FA Cup (on penalties over Manchester United), and was trusted so much by Arsene Wenger that Patrick Vieira was allowed to leave.
Cesc became a fixture in the Arsenal line-up over the ensuing season, forming good partnerships with Gilberto Silva and Mathieu Flamini. As well as cutting defences apart with his razor-sharp passing, Fabregas pitched in with some important goals. He suffered disappointment with Arsenal when they were unlucky to lose against Barcelona in the 2006 Champions League Final.
Thierry Henry’s departure saw Fabregas’ stock rise further, and he became the heart-beat of the team, captaining Arsenal on numerous occasions ahead of become the official captain in November 2008, taking over when Wenger lost faith in William Gallas.
Fabregas first caused a stir for Spain in 2003 at the U17 World Championships, scoring goals and putting in match-winning performances – Spain were unlucky to lose to Brazil in the final. Spain finished runners-up again in 2004, and Cesc won the plaudits of Luis Aragones who watched intently from the sidelines.
Cesc was given his first-team debut in 2006 against Ivory Coast, becoming the youngest player to feature for Spain in 50 years. He became a regular squad member, and travelled to Germany World Cup 2006 as a reserve midfielder, playing twice.
Fabregas started as substitute midfielder in Euro 2008, but soon made himself irreplaceable for Spain – scoring important penalties and creating goals in the Quarter and Semi Finals. He started the Final, and Spain held out a 1-0 win to win the cup for the first time in their history. Fabregas was named in UEFA’s ‘Team of the Tournament’.