Rakitic: It’s an honour to play with Xavi

The Croatia star says it was always his dream to play for a club like Barcelona and is delighted to be learning from some of Camp Nou’s biggest stars.

Ivan Rakitic says he is honoured to play alongside the likes of Xavi since his move to Barcelona from Sevilla this summer.
The Croatia international’s form as the Andalusians won the Europa League last term earned him a switch to Camp Nou, where he was filled the void left by Cesc Fabregas’ departure to Chelsea.
The former Schalke man says he jumped at the chance to join the Catalan club and has been impressed with the attitude of his new team-mates.
“The only thing that I wanted, aside from the fact that it would be a dream come true to play for a club like Barca, was for it to be sorted out quickly,” he told Uefa.com.
“It was during the World Cup and the last thing I wanted was to cause a stir in my national team. I didn’t want people talking about me, I wanted to learn from those players, not just as footballers, but also as men.
“An example is Xavi, the captain here. I know I still have so much to learn, and at Barcelona you learn so much. There are players here who have won the lot.
“Aside from the fact that Xavi has won everything, it’s his style of play, the way he conducts himself and how he leads us.
“Now I get the chance to share the dressing room with such important people who, despite having already won it all, are still hungry and want more. It’s a privilege to play alongside such influential footballers.
“I’m here to work hard, but to enjoy it too. Every day I wake up with a smile on my face and say to myself: ‘Fantastic, I’m off to train with my team-mates and work hard’. It doesn’t get any better than that.”
Rakitic also said that he has been impressed with the attention to detail shown by another summer arrival at Barca, coach Luis Enrique.
“All coaches are different, although my last coach at Sevilla, Unai Emery, is similar to Luis Enrique in terms of training and preparation. He is very clear about his ideas.
“He explains each detail to us. Nothing is left unresolved. What I do depends on my team-mates. It’s like a finely tuned engine – all the components need to work for it to drive well.”
The Sun