Carles Puyol, A One Man Club I FC Barcelona
Carles Puyol carried out his entire professional career at Barça but his beginnings were with his local side La Pobla de Segur. In his early years he showed great promise and in 1995 when he was 17 he joined the FC Barcelona youth system and moved into La Masia. He very quickly became a regular at the back for Barça B and on 2 October 1999 he made his long awaited debut for the first team. From that moment on, Puyol began to make regular appearances in the first team squad, often initially starting at right back. Thanks to his versatility and his appetite for hard work, he also adapted to playing at centre half, the position in which he would eventually establish himself both at Barça and in the national side. Puyol had to wait until the season 2004/05 to win his first major trophy with the balugranes. He was the club captain and a key member of Frank Rijkaard’s side that claimed the league title that season, Puyol holding aloft the trophy in front of the Camp Nou crowd. Succe