Leaving Arsenal has enabled Cesc Fabregas to take step forward

Because while Fabregas has sometimes been chosen by his footballing hero, Pep Guardiola, to play in advanced centre midfield, something he intermittently shone at while in north London, he is also now playing centre-forward.

Well, he would be if life at the Nou Camp was actually that simple. Fabregas plays what is known as the 'false' centre-forward - perhaps initiated by the great Hungarian Nandor Hidegkuti, enhanced by footballers like Pele, Johan Cruyff, Ruud Gullit and Michael Laudrup but until now the dominant position of Lionel Messi in this current Barca embodiment.

However, the chaos/plaster debate stems from questions arising over others around Fabregas - notably his childhood friend Messi and his two World Cup-winning colleagues, either of whom may find his way onto the pitch at Wembley this weekend, Pedro Rodríguez and David Villa.

Pedro has a solitary league goal to his credit and, far from his 19 goals in 21 games scoring streak of a year ago, looks short of confidence and touch. Villa is the talk of the town in Spain over whether he is having a row with Messi because of who gets to play the central striker.

None of the headline writers seem to find time to mention the fact that Fabregas has this season easily outstripped Spain's all-time leading goalscorer (Villa) and if the great man is miffed, it might well be with this midfielder who has arrived and suddenly staked a surprise claim for the central striking role.

Does it win the fluttering heart of Vicente Del Bosque? And if so - in which position?
The world champions are replete with talent, some of which is budding having looked only like a green shoot during the World Cup in South Africa 18 months ago. I was working daily around the Spain squad during the tournament and I remember waiting for Fabregas and his best friend in football, Gerard Pique, to finish a press conference so that he could attend our interview in a TV studio.

Del Bosque was a bit bored and filling time until he spoke to the assembled media throng, so he took the chance to chat with me.

During the conversation he admitted that "Cesc is pretty p***ed off with me and he's right to be". Del Bosque couldn't find a place for the Arsenal man in his strict 4-2-3-1 formation. Now Spain often use a 4-3-3 like Barca - and Fabregas is scoring goals.

At that same tournament, my cameraman and I were stationed on the touchline during the final and about six yards from where Del Bosque's subs were lining up.

Jesus Navas, back in the squad for the England game, was deployed first. Fernando Torres had been out warming up for so long that he felt like Carlos Tevez and stopped to gaze at the game and imagine that it was all a conspiracy against him.

Meanwhile, Fabregas warmed up like he was an angry bull and there were Pamplona runners to spear with his horns.

One man came on and almost immediately injured his groin while the other came on, fresh and growling, and created the goal assist which won the World Cup. Guess which one was which. Del Bosque won't forget that attitude, nor will he ignore the fact that some of the players who kept Fabregas out of the Spain XI are currently not playing as well as he is, nor scoring anything like as many goals.

He was second striker when required in the 2008 European Championship Final and supported Torres admirably.He has been toughened up by life in England, Guardiola has unleashed the goalscorer in him and players like Villa, Pedro and even Messi are having to shunt themselves into different positions when he is picked for Barca.

Fabregas has begun a journey of rediscovery at Barcelona and whether he starts or is on the bench against England on Saturday, there cannot be any doubt that those who bet against him and his move to the Nou Camp have lost their stakes.