Spain is the continent's most fertile footballing heartland, simultaneously producing title winning senior and junior teams at international level. La Liga is brimming with talent with a seemingly endless supply of talent being produced at clubs all over the peninsula.
Here, in Part I we look at the established core of youth talent in the Primera Liga, Europe's football factory, all 22 and under:
Part II, will highlight the potential core, just waiting to announce themselves.
La Liga's Established XII:
Iker Muniain - Athletic Bilbao - The man child is Spain's answer to Wayne Rooney, mature beyond his years both in physique and skill. An excellent debut displayed the Basque boy wonder's precocious skill during a season where he featured regularly for a team fighting on multiple fronts, both in Europe and at home. With Bilbao back in the Europa League and the 18 year old striker possessing a winning Euro U-21 campaign under his belt, the season ahead will only cement his reputation.
Bojan Krkic - Barcelona / Roma - Born of a Yugoslav father and a Catalan mother, the baby faced striker has found chances at the front of Barcelona's attack somewhat harder to come by after a break-out season as a 17 year old prodigy in 2007. Although chances have been limited, Krkic is anything but and is well capable of leading the line for a Champions' League side. At time of writing, he has been sent on a season loan to Roma, who view him as a possible replacement for Mirko Vucinic.
Fran Merida - Atletico Madrid - The 21 year old central midfielder is the long term future of the Rojiblanco engine room and provides the next Spanish generation depth in that position as well. His composed passing, game intelligence and deadly shooting bear the hallmarks of en education started in Barcelona and finished at Arsenal.
Daniel Parejo - Getafe / Valencia - Another of an innumerable number of classy midfielders that La Liga has produced, his classy performances last season for Getafe as well as the Euro winning Spanish U-21 team have few doubting his future, either in the league for a top six side or the national side, once the current generation retire. Having announced himself at Getafe after moving on from Real Madrid's youth setup, he will suit up at the Mestella next season.
Thiago Alcantara - Barcelona - Baby cradling Brazilian World Cup winning midfieler Mazinho's son, the youngster is considered to be the next best thing in Barcelona's midfield, a natural successor to Xavi and Iniesta and the next member of the current generation of Pedro and Busquets. Clinical from distance, he has already registered several long range stunners over the summer Euro U-21 and friendly engagements.
Mikel San Jose - Athletic Bilbao - Another product of the Basque club's youth programme, one that rivals the bigger academies in Madrid, Barcelona and Valencia, the defender is already an established La Liga player having made 66 appearances back at Bilbao after a two year internship at Liverpool. Another winning member of the U-21 team, San Jose's reading of the game bely his tender years.
Alvaro Dominguez - Atletico Madrid - Commending a Rojiblanco defender is hazardous at the best of times but Dominguez has displayed both a calm temperament and excellent powers of concentration, qualities he adds to solid technical skills. Having come up through the ranks at Atleti and Spain, his 48 La Liga appearances in the past two years culminated in a winning run as part of the U-21 national team that finished top of the pile in Europe this summer.
Martin Montoya - Barcelona - A standout member of the Barcelona Cantera (Youth) team that dominated Segunda A (The Spanish second tier) and finished fourth. Strong, tall and composed with the ball at his feet as well as in the air, Montoya should be the long term replacement for Carlos Puyol in the Bluagrana defence.
Ander Herrera - Real Zaragoza / Athletic Bilbao - An excellent showing at the U-21 championships proved what many at Real Zaragoza already know. Herrera is an all round midfield presence who can regularly chip in with goals and clinical passes around the opposing penalty area. Yet another youngster who broke out last season, his 81 games for Zaragoza saw him win a move back to his homeland with Bilbao - the Basque only club.
Sergio Asenjo - Atletico Madrid - Having just sold their young goalkeeping gem who had national team, club captain and league legend potential, all Madrid can do is simply unveil the next version of the same. Despite having spent the last few seasons in recently departed David De Gea's shadow, Asenjo proved that an injury in February, while on loan at Malaga, was the only thing preventing him from nailing down a league starting place, something he should achieve this season.
Victor Ruiz - Espanyol / Napoli - With 37 appearances and a pair of goals for Espanyol over the past two seasons, culminating in the club's excellent 8th place finish, Ruiz helped the Spanish U-21 side win in Europe before sealing a 6 million euro transfer to Napoli in Italy. With Italian defenders prized all over the continent, his move to an Italian Champions' League club lends heady verification to his all round skills and considerable talent. Having started out at Barcelona's academy, he moved to city rivals Espanyol to emerge in La Liga.
Sergio Canales - Real Madrid / Valencia - Canales missed the cut at U-21 level, but will be leading the line at the U-20 World Cup in Colombia at summer's end. Having come through the ranks at Racing Santander (he's from Cantabria), the attacking midfielder scored six times with four assists at Racing in 2009-10 before impressing during 10 outings for Real last season. Due to an overstock of attacking midfielders he was sent on a two year loan to Valencia, where his passing and shooting should see him in the starting XI.
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