Few English players can lay claim to having worn the famous red and blue stripes of FC Barcelona or “FC Barce blaugrana” as they are more commonly referred to. Ben Marsden, the tall Great Britain defender, now in action at the Olympic qualifying tournament in Santiago, Chile is proud to be one.

And he can go one better. As a member of the hockey club from 2003-2005 the players were given access to the club's impressive medical facilities and it was while he was having treatment one day he found himself alongside Ronaldinho.

“He was a really nice guy and very cheerful,” Marsden said. Among the other famous footballers, Marsden was also lucky enough to meet Samuel Eto'o, the prolific goalscorer, Carles Puyol, the present captain and defender, and Rafael Márquez, the Mexico international.

Marsden, 28, joined the club after meeting and becoming good friends with two Spanish players he met while playing a league season in Sydney. Persuaded to return to Europe and the Catalan capital, Marsden was provided with a flat in the city and quickly set about learning Spanish.

“I also worked in the marketing department of a financial company in Barcelona as well as coaching some of the teams in the club. One advantage of playing for FC Barcelona is that we had free entry to all home games in the Nou Camp and that was fantastic. Because the kit we wore is identical to the football one, I have my shirt framed at home.”

Called up for England in 2005, Marsden made his debut against Wales in Swansea and played in the 2005 European Championship in Leipzig, Germany. However, he was dealt a cruel blow the next year when he was forced to pull out of the World Cup squad with an ankle injury. But he has regained his place and, after two weeks of acclimatising in Chile, the GB squad have made the perfect start to their campaign with two convincing wins in the round-robin phase of the tournament, the winner of which will qualify for the Beijing Olympics.

Marsden's fluent Spanish has been a big bonus to the team and he is very much in demand as a translator. He said: “There's been a real need for me to help here as the bus drivers don't speak English.” His skill as a mimic also makes him a popular member of the team especially when he believes the moods needs lightening.

The serious business is yet to come and Marsden is confident GB will qualify and he can add to his 60 combined England and Great Britain appearances. “It's not if we qualify,” he said, “it's when.”

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