Iniesta: I Want To Retire At Barcelona

The Manchegan midfielder is an adopted Catalan after spending so long at Camp Nou and he us hopeful that he can fulfil his dream of playing for the club until he retires.

Some of Europe's major teams have expressed an interest in his services throughout his career, but Iniesta only views that as credit for his good performances.

"My idea has always been the same and that is to retire here, at the club I joined when I was 12. I hope I can stay here forever," he told TV3.

"The interest from other clubs is good because it shows that I am playing well."

Iniesta was not included on the list of nominees for the Ballon d'Or and some pundits expressed their surprise, but the player himself was philosophical about his omission.

"I think that those players that are on the list are there for sporting reasons, not because they are good at publicity. If I am not there then it because I do not deserve to be," he continued.

While Iniesta has become one of Barça's most creative players and has supplied numerous assists, he admits that he needs to score more goals when he goes forward.

"I am confident in my own ability, but I need to score more. That would make me a more complete player and would be good for me and the team. I think I can finish the season with a decent total this time," he added.

Pep Guardiola taking over Frank Rijkaard was seen as a risk by some in the summer due to the former Barça playmaker's lack of experience as a top flight coach, but Iniesta thinks that has changed now.

"If there were any players that were not convinced by him, then that all changed on his first day in charge," he added.

Lucas Brown, Goal.com