Francesc "Cesc" Fàbregas i Soler (born 4 May 1987) is a professional central midfielder who captains the English Premier League club Arsenal and plays for the Spanish national team. Fàbregas started his career as a trainee with Barcelona but was signed by Arsenal in September 2003 at the age of sixteen. Following injuries to key midfielders in the 2004–05 season, he established himself as Arsenal's starting central midfielder and playmaker. He went on to break several of the club's records, earning a reputation as one of the best young players for his position of his generation.