Former Barcelona and Swansea City midfielder Andrea Orlandi has opened up about his time in Wales with Brendan Rodgers, and the lasting impact the Irishman had on him during their time together.

Orlandi spent two years at Barcelona B from 2005 until 2007 on loan before joining Swansea permanently in the summer of 2007.

Rodgers took over as manager of the Welsh side in July 2010, and Orlandi played under him for two successful seasons.

The first proved particularly memorable as they secured promotion to the English Premier League by winning the Championship playoff final in May 2011.

Orlandi said: [Daily Record], “He (Brendan Rodgers) loved Barcelona, when you ask me if my team-mates were asking me about Barcelona, Brendan was the one that, every couple of weeks he would come into his office and comment on the Barca game.

“It was because this is how he wanted to play and and the football he liked. So I thought that we had a similar brain in terms of what we think about football.”

Rodgers’ style of play mirrors Barcelona’s approach, focusing on possession football and patience, avoiding forcefully creating chances.

Instead, they seek to exploit gaps in the opposition by wearing them down through constant movement both on and off the ball.

Barcelona’s renowned style of play has undoubtedly influenced Rodgers’ footballing philosophy as a coach, evident in his successful spell at Celtic from 2016 until 2019.

During this time, he secured an incredible seven domestic trophies out of seven.