Iniesta exits as a legend of the game

EVERY generation has a team and individual players who define their football philosophy. And for many 15 to 30-year-olds, the Barcelona of Andres Iniesta, Xavi and Lionel Messi will be theirs.

They will go down as the Holy Trinity from the great Barca team from the mid-2000s to the mid-teens. And no doubt one day there will be a statue to them outside the Nou Camp.

They revolutionised their club and produced a style of play that has been copied around the world and given us many fantastic memories.

And just to put things into context, when that era started, Nottingham Forest had won more European Cups than Barcelona.

As Iniesta (above) retires from international football, on the back of leaving Barcelona for Japan, we should salute an incredible player and someone who is, by all accounts, an incredible man.