Andres Iniesta could not bear to get away from his parents' bed when he was a little boy in his village, so it was hard to expect this shy boy to become one of the most prominent footballers of all time.
Iniesta, who celebrates the 36th anniversary of his birth on Monday, left his mark over 16 years in Barcelona and was one of the most prominent reasons for the most successful period in the history of the Spanish club, as it contributed to winning 32 titles, including nine in the domestic league and four in the Champions League.
"This kid will cause us all to retire," Pep Guardiola said when the teenager first saw him, as described by Barcelona coach Luis Enrique as "Harry Potter with his magic wand."
Iniesta, born on May 11, 1984, also made impressive contributions with Spain and led his country to the biggest achievement in its history when he scored the goal of overtime victory over the Netherlands in the 2010 World Cup Final in South Africa.
The goal he scored very quietly at Soccer City stadium in Johannesburg granted Iniesta tremendous popularity among the Spaniards with all their affiliations, and he was greeted with a welcome reception even while Barcelona was playing outside the homeland with the rivals Real Madrid and Espanyol.
Despite this, what is exciting is how to celebrate this decisive goal. He took off his shirt in honor of the memory of his late friend Danny Kharki, who died a year ago.
The sudden death of this player and a series of injuries caused Iniesta to feel depressed, and made him even worse so that he asked to sleep in his parents' bed as he was doing and was ten years old as a child at Barcelona Academy.
Iniesta survived his suffering with the help of a psychologist, and with the support of coach Guardiola who never forgot how Iniesta supported him when he started his career poorly in his first season with Barcelona.
This season ended in the Champions League crowning Barcelona with Iniesta, who scored the goal to qualify for the final against Chelsea in overtime.
Very popular Sergio Ramos, Real Madrid captain and former Iniesta fellow national team, summarized the latter's popularity saying he is a friend every mother desires for her daughter.
Iniesta decided to end his career with Spain and Barcelona in 2018, to start a new stage in Japan with Vesel Kobe, as he became a role model for future generations in this club.
"I want to share my experiences with young players," Iniesta told Reuters. "I think this is my responsibility as well and this is part of the big project that I came for."
"I love talking to them and sharing them, and I have a feeling that they can ask me questions, listen and try to learn."
The only title that lacks Iniesta's record is winning the Golden Ball, and when he announced his departure from Barcelona, officials at France Football magazine felt some remorse that he had not been awarded the Best Player in the World award before.
"Forgive Andris. His absence in particular is painful," the magazine's editor wrote.