'Footballers can't run any more. Talent is the future of the game'

The veteran, currently turning out for Al Sadd in Qatar has already turned towards a future in coaching and speaking to Spanish publication 'El País', he was in no doubt as to what the future of football is.

"I believe that the talent side of things, along with technical and tactical knowledge is where we can still improve," he explained.

"20 years after my Barcelona debut, football still incites the same emotion, passion and happiness in me as when I took the the field for the first time. Sometimes people ask me about how football will evolve. What is the future? For me the answer is as simple as just saying: talent."

The former Spain international went on to say that talent should be "football's next great evolution" as "talent is what makes the difference in a match.

"I look for teams that play attacking football and players with talent. For me, the decisive factor isn't physical players, but rather those that give sense and structure to the play.

"Football has reached and incredible level physically. The majority of the data we receive through means of communication is related to physical performance: a player has run 12 or 13 kilometers or they reached a pre-determined top speed etc. Of course, that is important. But I think we have reached a limit with regard to physical revelopment. Players can't run any more, the intensity cannot be higher, two matches is almost equal to half a marathon."