Number 2: Dani Alves
Dani Alves joined Barcelona in 2008 after playing with Andalusian side Sevilla for 6 seasons. Brazilian born Alves covers an enormous amount of ground when he plays and is one of the strongest right-sided players in the world.
Dani Alves was born on 6th May 1983 in Juazeiro and started out playing at youth level for Esporte Clube Bahia, the biggest club in the region. He progressed quickly and when he was just 18 when he played his first game in the Brazilian Serie A, under the watchful eye of Evaristo de Macedo, a former Barcelona player himself.
Alves impressed from the beginning and Bahia beat Paraná 3-0 that day. He was awarded a penalty after being brought down and also supplied a goal assist.
Bahia won the Championship in 2001, which was Alves’ first professional title followed by the Northeast Cup in 2001 and 2002. He was called up for the Brazilian Under 20 team in 2003. He was then brought to Europe on loan by Sevilla who had been keen on him.
Seville soon acquired permanent rights to the player after Alves impressed the side. In late 2003, Dani Alves was part of the Brazilian under 20 side that won the World Cup in the UAE, beating Spain by a goal to nil in the final. The player was named best full back in the competition.
During the 2003/2004 season, Alves played 29 times for Sevilla at right back, helping his club to win a European place.
Dani Alves soon consolidated his role as both a defender and part of the attack in the Sevilla team that won the UEFA Cup in 2005/2006. Just a few months later, he won the Super Cup with Sevilla beating Barcelona in Monaco.
In 2006/07, Seville went on to not only retain the UEFA Cup but win the European Supercup and the Copa del Rey.
Dani Alves is considered one of the best full backs in the world and signed for the Cataln giants in the summer of 2008. In his first season at Barca, he was involved in the incredible treble winning campaign under Pep Guardiola. He was now fully consolidated as one of the finest examples of a true wing backs, scoring five goals in 54 appearances for Barca that year.
Alves won three new titles in his third year at the club – the Spanish Supercup, La Liga and the Champions League putting in a great performance at Wembley stadium in London. It was in that same year that the Brazilian signed an extension to his contract which keeps him at the club until 2015.
In his fourth year at the Catalan club, Dani Alves won the Copa del Rey, the Spanish Supercup, the European Supercup. He also made 52 appearances for the club and scored three goals in the six competitions that the club competed in.
