Aleix Garrido makes FC Barcelona debut

"I think this is the best day of my life" said Aleix Garrido moments after making his FC Barcelona senior debut on Saturday at Elche. A lot has been said about the 19-year-old this season, and as Xavi hinted prior to the game, he may well have featured in first team squads much earlier had it not been for a nasty knee injury that saw him side-lined for four months.

The young midfielder, with the number 40 on his back, came on in the 80th minute as a replacement for Ansu Fati and in total was on the field for nine minutes.

Eleventh year at the club

Garrido, born in Ripoll, Catalonia on 22 February 2004, joined FC Barcelona's U8 team in 2012, and has played at every level since. In what is now his eleventh year in blaugrana, he is part of the U19A squad, and forms part of the same generation as Gavi, alongside whom he has risen through the ranks.

He has played 20 games this season, nine for the U19A team in the league, six in the UEFA Youth League, and five for Barça Atlètic, scoring three goals.