Turning point: Iniesta's goal gave Spain a 1-0 win at Old Trafford in 2007

Roberto Martinez traces the changes back to the mid-1990s, a time when Spain united in pursuit of sporting excellence in the afterglow of the Barcelona Olympics in 1992.

Spanish football decided to prioritise technical development but the turning point came when manager Luis Aragones took a leap of faith for that generation, dropping Raul and standing firm amid criticism.

Raul would win the last of his 102 caps in the 3-2 defeat in Belfast in September 2006. It was about the same time Steve McClaren dropped David Beckham for England, a decision he later reversed.

'The biggest decision Aragones made was to get rid of Raul,' says Wigan manager Martinez. 'There had always been friction between the Real Madrid and Barcelona players and accusations that the Real Madrid players were getting better treatment.

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