5 reasons why Sergi Roberto should be the new Barca number 8

3. Loyalty

In these days, loyalty in football is rare to come by. A few seasons ago Barca had perhaps the greatest midfield of all time. With Xavi, Iniesta and Busquets at their peak, and Cesc Fabregas waiting in the wings, getting into the team was nearly impossible. This was one of the reasons another of La Masia's great talents, Thiago Alcantara, left the club for Bayern Munich. A couple of years later, it was Sergi Roberto's time to make a decision. But he decided to stay and fight for his place.

The Barca academy graaduates

Although he never got to play regularly at his preferred midfield position, Sergi showed great character in whatever position he was played in. In one of the seasons under the then coach, Luis Enrique, he was deployed at not less than 7 positions, before settling at right back. He was the goto man for Enrique when there was an injury crisis, whether it was in place of Dani Alves, Jordi Alba or even Lionel Messi. This loyalty and perseverance is what Barca looks for in a player and Sergi perfectly exemplifies that.