"I like playing there, I like feeling important". Cesc Fabregas is the man entrusted with organising the play and pulling the strings in the national team. It hasn't always been this way, though: it has taken Vicente del Bosque many months to hand the Chelsea star the reins for the European champions.

Cesc has always wanted to play in his current position so that he could dictate the tempo at Barcelona and in the national team, but the presence of Xavi Hernandez in both sides restricted his opportunities to do so, meaning the former Arsenal captain had to operate in various other positions instead. "The important thing is to play, but I've always said it's the position where I'm most at ease", said the man who completed 82 of his 93 passes against Slovakia.

Del Bosque has now decided to give Cesc a run in his favoured position, as seen by his four consecutive starts, which had not happened since before the days of the current national team coach. Now we can say that the 28-year-old has become Xavi's successor: "I like the sound of Cesc's Spain or Xavi's replacement. Everything that involves playing, even more so if it's in my favourite position, is great for me. To be honest, I don't think our performances have been that bad. Spain have been at a good level since Euro 2008. It's not a new thing, it's been happening for years".

Cesc, who is just two caps short of his century, seems to have found his place for 'La Roja': "It's very important to feel like a starter and have the coach's confidence, which is the case for me. The national team has always been a challenge and I've always been highly motivated every time I've been called up".