Javier Mascherano has spoken about his move to Barcelona so far, and how changing positions has affected his career at the Nou Camp.

For a player that never scored in almost 300 games, Mascherano holds so much power in the Barcelona set-up.

The Argentine has continually defied age and is an asset in the team. The 32-year old South American star is the ‘fix-in’ man in the Luis Enrique side. The player is comfortable in the middle, as a central defender and as a right back. He was on the four-man defence that thrashed Manchester City in the UEFA Champions League last week, and has been an excellent option since Sergi Roberto picked up his injury.

“The option of Mascherano is open. He played a good match against City and he is one of the possibilities that I have for this and other matches,” Luis Enrique revealed ahead of their trip to Valencia in the La Liga. The versatility and sacrifice has endeared him to the team, making him the engine room of the very talented set-up. Despite the array of stars in the team like Lionel Messi, Neymar, Andres Iniesta and Luis Suarez, Mascherano has a special place in the team anytime, anyday.

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola was the one that gave the player a chance to reinvent himself when he completed his move from Liverpool. Sergio Busquets was reliably the holding midfielder, so Mascherano had to adapt or be benched. The team faced an injury crisis that forced him to play in central defence. His football intelligence more than made up for his height.

“I never thought I would be here this long. I know what I can do, but I also know the demands that Barca places on you. In any other team I would have liked to play in midfield, but changing positions was worth it to keep playing here,” he said.