Marc Bartra, half his life at FC Barcelona

The centre back joined the club when he was just 12 years old, and his dream of playing for the first team finally came true in 2001

Marc Bartra joined La Masia from the RCD Espanyol academy when he was just 12 years old. He powered his way through each of the different age categories, to eventually make his first team debut on 14 February 2010 in league match away to Atlético Madrid.

In that 2010/11 season, he switched duties between Barça B and the first team, scoring his first goal for the latter on the final day of the season against Malaga.

In 2012/13, with Puyol and Mascherano both suffering periods out through injury, the youngster’s role in the first team was consolidated with a further 16 appearances, including a place in the starting line-up against Bayern Munich in the Champions League semi-finals.

The centre back’s presence was even stronger in 2013/14. Bartra played in 30 games and scored goals in both the league and cup. Particularly towards the end of the campaign, when Barça’s defence was maligned by injuries, Bartra played more of a key role. In the Copa del Rey Final against Real Madrid, he scored his team’s only goal, although sadly that was not enough to win Barça the title.

In the 2014/15 and 2015/16 seasons, the Piqué-Mascherano partnership became a solid fixture in the centre of the Barcelona defence, and Bartra struggled to get into the team. But whenever he did get the chance, he never disappointed.

He leaves the club having won every major trophy on offer: five Ligas, two Champions Leagues, two Copa del Rey, two European Super Cups, two Spanish Super Cups and a Club World Cup. That’s quite some medal collection he’ll be taking away with him!

from News at FCB http://www.fcbarcelona.com/football/first-team/detail/article/marc-bartra-half-his-life-at-fc-barcelona