Former Arsenal starlet Marcus McGuane became the first Englishman to play for Spanish giants Barcelona since Gary Lineker when he was introduced against Espanyol in the Catalan Super Cup.
McGuane, 19, made the surprise switch from the Emirates Stadium to the Nou Camp during the January transfer window, and has been impressing during his time in Spain.
His form has been rewarded and McGuane was given 15 minutes by manager Ernesto Valverde as his side looked for a breakthrough against a stubborn Espanyol side.
Former Arsenal starlet Marcus McGuane made his Barcelona debut in the Catalan Super Cup
McGuane's eagerly anticipated debut with the La Liga leaders made him the first Englishman to do so since Lineker ran the attack at the Nou Camp.
McGuane, a dynamic midfielder, made one senior appearance for Arsenal in the Europa League earlier this season but opted to make the switch from English football to try his hand in Spain.
The youngster featured in the Europa League for Arsenal this season, but headed off to Spain
McGuane became the first Englishman to represent Barcelona since striker Gary Lineker
A dream come true. Today I signed for the biggest club in the world and tomorrow I start work. What a special day it has been for me and my family. Now I am ready to start this new chapter and challenge���� @FCBarcelona @FCBarcelonaB #ForçaBarça #FCBarcelona pic.twitter.com/fHsOb8z6nM — Marcus McGuane (@marcusmcguane58) January 30, 2018
LINEKER'S DREAM DEBUT Should McGuane feature for the first team, he'll be hoping to have a competitive debut much like Lineker's. Following his summer transfer from Everton, Lineker made his bow in a La Liga clash with Racing Santander and struck twice to secure a 2-0 win. He kept up a steady scoring rate throughout the season, and would end with 21 goals from 50 games.
The youngster was one of 12 Barcelona B players called up to the seniors in a heavily altered squad as the Catalonians have one eye on other competitions.
B team coach Gerard Lopez has been impressed by McGuane in the short time he's been in Spain.
'In a short time he has already earned my confidence, and I hope he can become an important player for us,' Lopez told ESPN.
'I can use him in a lot of positions and at his age, he still has a lot of room for improvement.'
Star trio of Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez and new recruit Philippe Coutinho were rested following the recent victory over Atletico Madrid as the Super Cup went to penalties.
The game lacked clear-cut opportunities with both sides using the depths of their squads.
Who is Marcus McGuane? The ex-Arsenal player following in Gary Lineker's footsteps at Barcelona
Marcus McGuane featured for Barcelona on Wednesday night, having joined the Catalans from Arsenal in January
Marcus McGuane became the first Englishman to feature for Barcelona since Gary Lineker on Wednesday night - but what do we know about the 19-year-old? Michael Hincks takes a look.
Barcelona beat rivals Espanyol on penalties in the Catalan Super Cup final on Wednesday, with Ernesto Valverde selecting eight first-team players, including Jasper Cillessen, Ousmane Dembele and Andre Gomes.
Meanwhile, Greenwich-born McGuane was among the 12 players selected from Barca B, and the former Arsenal midfielder became the first Englishman to represent the first team since Lineker in 1989 when coming on as a second-half substitute at the Camp d'Esports in Lleida.
But what do we know about McGuane? We examine how he went from Hale End to Barcelona...
Profile: Marcus McGuane
Age: 19
19 Born: Greenwich, London
Greenwich, London Position: Defensive midfield
Defensive midfield International caps: Two for England U19s
A dream come true. Today I signed for the biggest club in the world and tomorrow I start work. What a special day it has been for me and my family. Now I am ready to start this new chapter and challenge🔴🔵 @FCBarcelona @FCBarcelonaB #ForçaBarça #FCBarcelona pic.twitter.com/fHsOb8z6nM — Marcus McGuane (@marcusmcguane58) January 30, 2018
Swapping London for Barcelona
January's transfer window was undeniably an eventful one. With Philippe Coutinho leaving Liverpool, Alexis Sanchez and Henrikh Mkhitaryan swapping clubs, and Virgil van Dijk becoming the world's most expensive defender, the transfer of an 18-year-old Arsenal player to Barcelona went unnoticed by many.
McGuane moved to Barca B for an undisclosed fee, signing a three-year deal - with an option to a further two years - which features a buyout clause of €25m (£22.4m).
It was a bold decision for McGuane to leave Arsenal, having joined at under-six level, but he has gone on to feature four times for Barca B in central midfield.
Delighted to make my Barca B debut but most important to get the 3 points! Vamos vamos! 🔴🔵🔴🔵 https://t.co/cZAhLsIiqZ — Marcus McGuane (@marcusmcguane58) February 4, 2018
What happened at Arsenal?
Available quotes from Arsene Wenger on McGuane are incredibly brief, but highlight the player's versatility.
"McGuane is a defensive midfielder, and overall he can play as a wing-back or even a centre back in training," Wenger told arsenal.com.
As a result, McGuane played both defensive and midfield roles for Arsenal's under-23s this season, scoring twice in nine Premier League 2 appearances.
McGuane, 19, joined Arsenal at under-six level
The former U18s captain also enjoyed all of 12 minutes for Arsenal's first team, having been a late substitute in Europa League wins at BATE Borisov and Red Star Belgrade, but ultimately called it time at the Emirates on January 30.
It ended a staggering 12-year spell at the club, with reports suggesting McGuane, who was into the final six months of his contract, was holding off on signing a new deal because of the uncertainty surrounding his first-team chances at Arsenal.
At Barcelona, he will no doubt look to learn from midfield powerhouses Sergio Busquets, Ivan Rakitic and Andres Iniesta in the months to come.
Gary Lineker joined Barcelona from Everton in 1986 and spent three years at the club, scoring 52 goals in 137 appearances, with his last match coming in 1989
International pedigree
McGuane represented the Republic of Ireland at U17 level before switching his allegiance to England.
After eight caps for the U17s and U18s, McGuane featured twice for the U19s last September. An appearance off the bench in the 7-1 win over Poland was followed by a start in the 3-1 defeat to Germany.
With no U19 fixtures on the horizon, only time will tell if McGuane's Catalonian venture proves beneficial for his international career.
McGuane has played twice for England's U19s, having switched from Republic of Ireland at U17 level
What they said
Barca B coach Gerard Lopez told ESPN FC: "McGuane's adapted well. He's doing well. He's a complete player. Perhaps he just lacks that calmness on the ball, that pause in terms or our positional play, but he has everything else we need in the middle of the pitch.
"He's a hard worker, good in the air, arrives in the box from deep. He's already added a lot to the team. I can use him in a lot of positions and at his age, he still has a lot of room for improvement.
"In a short time he has already earned my confidence, and I hope he can become an important player for us."
Defensive midfielder McGuane is on course to become Barcelona's first English player since Gary Lineker
FOLLOWING the departure of Cesc Fabregas and Thierry Henry, Arsenal are no strangers to losing players to Barcelona, but last summer, 19-year-old Marcus McGuane headed out to Catalunya, marking a huge sea change at the Emirates.
In 2011, Hector Bellerin came over from La Masia to forge a prosperous career in North London, but seven years later, holding midfielder McGuane has moved in the other direction.
1 Marcus McGuane has made the switch from the Emirates to the Nou Camp
He now has the chance to walk a path last trodden in the 1980s when Gary Lineker and Steve Archibald starred at the Nou Camp under Terry Venables, albeit a lot later in their careers.
Who is Marcus McGuane?
Marcus McGuane was born in Greenwich in 1999 and has spent almost his entire life in the Arsenal academy.
He first played in the under-6 team and impressed at every age group before going on to captain the under-18s and star in the under-23s.
And he made his Gunners debut earlier this season, coming on in the 79th minute as Arsenal beat BATE Borisov 4-2 in Belarus.
On January 30, 2018 he agreed a move to Barcelona after interest from clubs across Europe.
Incidentally, he now has a buyout clause of £22.5m, which could interest Premier League clubs should he excel at the Nou Camp.
What kind of player is Marcus McGuane?
McGuane plays in a holding role just in front of the back four.
As expected of English youngsters, he is able to use his physical strength to break up play, but can also play a quality forward pass.
Over the summer, McGuane dramatically improved his first-touch and agility, working with fitness coach Saul Isaksson-Hurst.
The coach said: “Marcus came to me in preseason with an ambition to work on several elements of his game.
“He is one of the most dedicated and driven young players that I have worked with and I know he has a big future in front of him.”
Barcelona confirmed signing of ex-Arsenal star Marcus McGuane... but who is he?
When could we see Marcus McGuane play for Barcelona?
Interestingly, Barcelona’s need for McGuane is quite pressing, as he was one of five promising youngsters signed to assist the club’s B team in their battle against relegation from the Spanish second tier.
That means he has already been exposed to adult football of a high standard.
McGuane could also play a part in today’s match against Espanyol in the Supercopa de Catalunya in Lleida.
The match is nominally a first team fixture, with a number of stars from the full team in the squad.
That means McGuane is set to gain experience alongside the likes of Denis Suarez, Yerry Mina, Ousmane Dembele, Jasper Cillessen, Paco Alcacer, Lucas Digne, Andre Gomes and Aleix Vidal.
Depending on his development, the club may decide to give McGuane a run out at the Nou Camp towards the end of the season when La Liga is mathematically won and the focus shifts to other competitions.
