Barcelona exclusive: The local keeper who wants to influence players for years to come

Since 2008, Barcelona have won six out of a possible eight La Liga titles. When you consider that both Real and Atletico Madrid have contested two out of the last three Champions League finals it makes this record  even more impressive. 

The team's domestic dominance and their ability to keep possession led many to believe that the role of goalkeeper at the club was fairly simplistic. However, the mental alertness and natural shot-stopping capability that all top goalkeeper's need is further compounded at the Camp Nou by the sweeper-keeper attribute required to play within the ideology. 

The modern day number one has to be more than comfortable with the ball at his feet, but this has been taken to another level by Victor Valdes and Bayern Munich's Manuel Neuer in recent years. Finding goalkeepers that are suited to the system isn't easy, which perhaps explains why the club are reluctant to lose those that fit regardless of how much playing time they receive. 

Jordi Masip is currently behind Claudio Bravo and Marc-Andre ter Stegen in the pecking order, but still feels a valuable member of the Spanish champions. “I've always been happy at Barcelona and it's my dream to be at this club,” Masip told Yahoo Sport.

The 27-year-old wants to stay with the Catalans and as a local lad, many supporters would love to trade places with him. “I'm in the last year of my contract now, so I have to see what happens at the end of the season, but I remain hopeful so we will have to wait and see.”

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Masip feels honoured to have been part of the most successful Barcelona in their history and to have witnessed first-hand the workings of now Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola. “He’s very good, he was obviously a great manager and he won loads of titles, so it was great to learn under his leadership. It was a really great period for the club and myself.”

The playing culture has remained the same since Guardiola left the side and Masip admits that the transition from Tito Vilanova to Gerardo Martino through to Luis Enrique has been straightforward for those in between the posts. “The instructions they have given me are very similar because it's the philosophy of the club rather than the individual managers.  

“You can see that Guardiola has installed his philosophy at other clubs, but at Barcelona the philosophy remains the same so there's no real difference for the goalkeeper,” added Masip.

The experience that he has gained at Barca makes him perfect for nurturing the younger generation and helping them to learn the right way to act on and off the pitch.

“I want to play as much as I can, it's a decision for the manager,” confesses Masip, even though he has made just one start in the league for the first-team in all his years at the club. “All I can do is work as much as I can, keep training to the maximum and see if I get opportunities.”