Iker Casillas

Each week, we shall be looking into one of the greatest footballers in modern football and the impact they can potentially make when the World Cup commences in June.

Club and country symbols who are adored by the public irrelevant of the club they ply their trade with are quite rare, however Spanish leader Iker Casillas fits that glove perfectly.

An athlete so highly revered by his compatriots that even Barcelona fans hold the highest respect for him. The 32-year old broke into the scene as an 18 year old starter for Real Madrid, having been with the club during his youth. Since then, the goalkeeper’s meteoric rise to stardom grew stronger after his debut for Spain at the 2000 Euro tournament as well as countless vital saves and paramount performances for Real Madrid.

Although Casillas’ starting place at Real Madrid has been casting doubt since the appointment of Mourinho in 2010, the respect the player commands has never been broken. The Madridista has in fact won a World Cup as well as a Euro tournament for his country since then, meaning that his leadership skills have never faded. He’s also one of the few Real Madrid players who is always referred to positively by Barcelona players and fans alike, whilst every football fan knows of the burning rivalry between the clubs and its fans and players alike.

The national team, although not considered as powerful as they were in recent years, are still one of the favourites to lift the trophy in Brazil this summer. Casillas will be one of the very few legendary goalkeepers on show, therefore keep an eye out for a captain who has the potential to lead his crew to even more glory this summer.