Iniesta looks to help fire Spain in World Cup

Madrid, June 12 (IANS) Andres Iniesta was the hero of the 2010 World Cup as the Barcelona and Spain midfielder scored the 116th minute goal which took the Spanish to their first World title with a 1-0 win over Holland.

Iniesta has been a key part of the successful Spanish side which has won the last two European titles as well as the South Africa World Cup, and now he aims to help fire the Spanish to further success in Brazil, reports Xinhua.

The Spanish kick off their title defence against Holland Friday and if they are to defend their title, Iniesta will have to once again be at his best.

"This is a unique opportunity to carry on making history... I believe in this side and in what we built together as a group," he said in an article written for the El Pais newspaper.

Iniesta admitted that he didn't have his best season with Barca, but was confident in recovering his form.

"We have people who can do things well and who will hold nothing back," he continued, accepting that the rivals were more difficult all of the time.

"Football is more even in every sense of the word and it's impossible to win unless you do things perfectly," he said.

However, Iniesta warned that although Spain have won their last three major tournaments, "it is not the moment to live on memories, but to use those as a stimulus to continue progressing."

"Football doesn't work by repeating itself, but because of the conviction that we the players are able to go out against and win the World Cup," said the midfielder.

Despite his conviction that football is the here and now, he admitted that his winning goal from 2010 was a special moment in his life.

"I have lost count of the times that I have seen the goal. There are days when I see it by surprise, especially because it is always on programmes about the World Cup. Maybe it can become a moment which quite simply generates a feeling of happiness," he said, explaining that his goal was, "a different sensation, something unique, that I had not experienced before."

"I knew we were going to win the final and as soon as I controlled the ball, I knew I was going to score. It was a goal you score once in a lifetime," he concluded.