# @bbcsport on YouTube

- **Type:** Video
- **Original URL:** https://youtube.com/watch?v=lUpgTBYqFMc
- **Gondola URL:** https://gondola.cc/posts/37866645-bbcsport-youtube
- **Thumbnail:** https://img.gondola.cc/tr:w-,h-,fo-auto/postThumbnails/59bb0ec1bb.jpg
- **Posted:** 2025-12-12T06:00:48.000+00:00
- **Account Owner:** BBC Sport (@BBCSport) — https://gondola.cc/BBCSport

## Caption

Wayne, Kelly Somers and Kae Kurd head to Tottenham’s training ground for an in-depth conversation with Tottenham’s exciting attacking midfielder, Xavi Simons. In a rare and revealing interview, Xavi opens up about his extraordinary journey from child prodigy to fully fledged international star, including what it was really like to have 2 million Instagram followers at just 12 years old, and why he feels fame stole parts of his youth.

Xavi and Wayne compare experiences of being hyped before making a senior debut, and dive into the huge life shifts that came with Xavi’s moves from the Netherlands to Barcelona, Paris, Leipzig and London. Xavi explains how he felt about leaving Barça for PSG at 16 and what it was like walking into a dressing room with Kylian Mbappé, Neymar, Thiago Silva, Marquinhos and Marco Verratti and how Neymar became a mentor to him.

Xavi shares why he chose Tottenham, his ambitions in the Premier League and the player who’s impressed him most in England since arriving. 

He also discusses the influence of Ruud van Nistelrooy on his career, while Wayne reveals why he never imagined Van Nistelrooy as a manager and remembers when Ruud would get so frustrated with Cristiano Ronaldo that he’d walk off the United training pitch. Wayne also opens up about his childhood idol Duncan Ferguson, the letters he wrote to him in prison, and the time Barcelona’s goalkeeper accidentally drove over his foot as a kid.

You can watch The Wayne Rooney Show on BBC Sport YouTube, iPlayer, as well as listen on BBC Sounds.

Chapters

00:00 Intro 
01:21 Meet Xavi Simons  
02:51 Xavi’s Football Journey  
04:43 Speaking Five Languages  
05:02 Growing Up at Barcelona  
06:23 Neymar: From Idol to Teammate  
07:22 Wayne’s Childhood Idol Story  
11:36 Pressure of Being a Young Star  
13:05 Two Million Followers at 13  
16:29 Losing Childhood Freedom  
20:30 Chelsea Tried to Sign Him?  
22:48 Leaving Barcelona  
25:07 Life at PSG  
27:00 Wayne’s England Debut Story  
29:01 Neymar’s Support  
30:26 Ruud van Nistelrooy’s Influence  
33:34 Xavi’s Winning Mentality  
37:11 Why Spurs?  
41:13 The Haircut Story  

=============

SUBSCRIBE so you never miss out on our best videos
➡️➡️http://bit.ly/1sFodyu 

=============

Find us here: 

BBC Sport: http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport 
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BBCSport/ 
X: https://www.x.com/BBCSport/ 
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bbcsport/
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@bbcsport

#bbcsport #WayneRooneyShow #Podcast 

Wayne Meets…Xavi Simons: What It’s REALLY Like Being a Wonderkid | The Wayne Rooney Show | Ep 31

## Stats

- **Views:** 100,531
- **Likes:** 2,013
- **Shares:** 0
- **Comments:** 169

## Tags

waynerooneyshow, bbcsport, podcast

---
Copyright (c) Gondola