Xavi names Scholes "the best midfielder of the last 20 years"

Barcelona superstar Xavi has said Manchester United's Paul Scholes is the best midfielder to grace world football over the last 20 years.

In an interview with the Daily Mail, the Ballon D'Or finalist gushed about the Manchester United man's qualities - saying that he is beyond compare.

"In the last 15 to 20 years the best central midfielder that I have seen - the most complete - is Scholes," he said.

"I have spoken with Xabi Alonso about this many times. Scholes is a spectacular player who has everything.

"He can play the final pass, he can score, he is strong, he never gets knocked off the ball and he doesn’t give possession away. If he had been Spanish then maybe he would have been valued more."

Xavi, who will line up for Barcelona against Arsenal next week in the Champions League, expressed his admiration for a number of other Premier League players.

"(Wayne) Rooney, Scholes, Cesc (Fabregas), (Samir) Nasri and (Ryan) Giggs," he listed as his favourites.

"I was also a big fan of John Barnes, Chris Waddle and Matt Le Tissier. And although it is a different style, I liked the Paul Ince and Roy Keane partnership Manchester United had. They would have been my team had I moved toEngland."

Xavi also said there are some key differences between how footballers are perceived in Spain and in England.

"You are a nation of warriors. If I go to Liverpool’s ground and someone puts the ball into the area and Carragher hammers it out of play then the fans applaud. In the Camp Nou you would never be applauded for that," said the World Cup winner.

"I do see it changing slightly. Before, the typical No.9 in England was a Crouch or a Heskey and it was a long ball from the back from a Terry or a Carragher and nothing in between.

"I don’t want to be misunderstood. I have huge admiration for both Terry and Carragher. We have (Carles) Puyol here. Technically he is not the best player in the squad but he is a great defender.

"Players like Terry and Carragher are very necessary but they have to adapt to the team as opposed to the team adapting to them. In some ways what these players do has even more merit because to me it comes naturally."