Former Espanyol junior Cristian Marquez-Sanchez has signed his first pro deal with Fulham.

The talented youngster cites Barcelona's Xavi and Iniesta as two of his footballing heroes.

"Barcelona and Espanyol are the two teams of Catalonia," Marquez-Sanchez told fulhamfc.com. "It's a big rivalry in that area, and while I do like some of Barca's players, I'm an Espanyol fan through and through.

"Of course, I now have a love for Fulham, but Espanyol is the club of my family and I have grown up supporting them. They're not as successful as Barcelona, but in recent seasons I've seen them win two Copa del Rey's and reach the final of the UEFA Cup."