There are few 22-year-olds who can say they have faced the glare of football’s spotlight for more than a decade. Attention and expectation are nothing new for Xavi Simons, Tottenham’s statement signing.
Named after the former Barcelona midfielder and manager, he was a child prodigy at the club’s La Masia academy after joining at the age of seven. With his distinct blond curls adding to the intrigue, Simons had over a million Instagram followers by the age of 14.
