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Barcelona's glorious history in Spanish football and beyond is shaped by some legendary players who have graced the club. The likes of Lionel Messi, Ronaldinho, Andres Iniesta, Johan Cryuff, to name a few, are some of the players that immediately spring to mind in this regard.
However, there have been a few others who didn't boast such illustrious profiles but were, nonetheless, just as integral to various title-winning Barcelona teams over the years.
Five most underrated Barcelona players:
Often playing in the company of more illustrious teammates, the contributions of some skilful players haven't always been appreciated enough. On that note, we look at the five most underrated players in Barcelona's history:
Honourable mentions: Edmilson, Giovanni Van Bronckhorst, Adriano Correa and Pedro.
#5 Javier Mascherano
Three excellent years with Liverpool earned Javier Mascherano a high-profile move to Barcelona in 2010. But due to the presence of Sergio Busquets, the Argentine was mostly played out of position during his seven-and-a-half season stint with Barcelona.
Nevertheless, the former Argentine international forged a great career with the Blaugrana, something that isn't admired much.
Javier Mascherano was an uber-reliable utility man, operating successfully from various positions across midfield and the defence while also stepping up to the plate in the big moments.
He was always surrounded by much bigger and more glamorous figures at the club, which might explain why Mascherano never really got so much attention he deserved. Nonetheless, his contribution for Barcelona was invaluable.
#4 Victor Valdes
His later career fizzled out due to injuries and lack of form, but Victor Valdes was an exceptional goalkeeper in his prime at Barcelona. But much like the players on the list, Valdes' contribution wasn't appreciated enough.
Coming through the youth ranks at Barcelona, Valdes broke into the senior team in 2002 before establishing himself as the Blaugrana's first-choice in goal the next year.
Over the next 11 years, Valdes became a model of consistency for Barcelona, playing a starring role in the glorious Pep Guardiola-era. But he never received as many plaudits as he deserved for his efforts.
#3 Marc-Andre ter Stegen
Little was known about the player when Barcelona signed Marc-Andre ter Stegen from Borussia Monchengladbach in 2014. But seven years later, he's well on course to becoming Barcelona's greatest ever goalkeeper.
Initially, the German was just a cup-game player but slowly became Barcelona's preferred man in goal in the La Liga, too, after Claudio Bravo's departure to Manchester City in 2016.
A consistent performer with excellent reflexes and exceptional shot-stopping abilities, Ter Stegen has taken the modern idea of goalkeeping to a new level but seldom gets credit for it.
Lately, his importance to Barcelona has been almost as much as Messi's, saving their beacon on multiple occasions with crucial stops.
#2 Ivan Rakitic
Too often a scapegoat whenever Barcelona underperformed, Ivan Rakitic was a faithful servant at the club for six years before rejoining Sevilla last summer on a free transfer.
Replacing someone of Xavi's ilk is no mean feat, but the Croatian managed to do that with elan. Rakitic established himself as a key player in the Barcelona midfield, thanks to his well-rounded playmaking ability and goal threat.
Rakitic left after 310 appearances for Barcelona, winning 13 trophies, scoring 35 goals and assisting 42 times - all of this for just £15 million, an absolute bargain. It was a shame that Rakitic was deemed surplus to requirements at Barcelona last season.
#1 Sergio Busquets
Ignoring all his on-field theatrics and poor disciplinary record, Sergio Busquets an all-is time midfield legend but grossly underrated and underappreciated.
He's mainly in the news for his diving antiques or remonstrations with referees but not many times for heroic performances like a last-minute goal or a defence-splitting through-ball or even a spectacular assist.
A veteran of Barcelona's historic treble-winning side of 2009, Busquets has stamped his authority in the Blaugrana midfield for more than a decade and silently orchestrated their greatest ever era.
With 615 appearances and 29 titles under his belt, the Spaniard is an extraordinary player. Busquets will go down in history as one of Barcelona's greatest ever.
