On Friday 30 October, Dutch international and Tottenham Hotspur attacking midfielder Xavi Simons spoke and answered questions at the Oxford Union. In a refreshingly raw and heartfelt interview, Simons spoke about the difficulties of growing up in the spotlight, and the importance of having his family’s support.
From birth, Xavi’s life has centred around football and his family. He spoke about being unnamed until a few days old, when his mother, watching FC Barcelona play, took inspiration from Xavi Hernández, the famous Spanish midfielder.
Xavi had, therefore, a certain expectation placed on him from birth, considering that he shared a name with “statistically speaking, the most successful player in Spanish football history”. At the Oxford Union he opened up to the listening members, recalling that he “lost [his] whole childhood”, and could never go out with friends without either being recognised or having to think about the effect of a night-out on his football. For a 23-year-old world-class footballer who has already played in three of Europe’s top five leagues, Simons’ honesty and vulnerability was inspiring.
Supporting him every step of the way, from his first signing for Barcelona’s infamous academy La Masia at the age of eight, to his ACL injury in April, Xavi spoke about how “my family means everything to me, especially my mum”. After all, he learned to play football with his older brother, determined to impress and outperform him. Furthermore, he described his mother, Peggy Simons, as his “superhero” for her unwavering support during his career.
Simons also opened up about the psychological impact of injury, having had his joy – football – be brutally taken away from him by an ACL injury. He enrolled in Harvard University’s Crossover into Business programme, which was set up for professional athletes to develop their business and commercial skills, mentioning that “I want to create my legacy off the pitch”.
When answering a question about what his favourite career moment has been, Xavi chose not to look back to his accolades: 2022/23 Eredivisie Top-scorer and Talent of the Season, 2021/22 Ligue 1 Champion, and several domestic trophies for PSG and RB Leipzig to name a few. Rather, his favourite career memory was when he was called up to the Dutch National Team by his namesake, Xavi Hernández, and returned home to see his mother and grandmother crying with joy.
In January, Tottenham Hotspur shared how Xavi Simons had attended an Alzheimer’s Society Singing for the Brain session at Southgate Methodist Church in Enfield, after his grandmother had been diagnosed with the disease. He spoke at the Union about how he wakes up at 6am to get in for training at the gym early, so that he can call his grandmother every day. In a sport surrounded by money and glamour, it was inspiring to hear how family can mean so much, and even take precedence over wealth.
Simons at Spurs – Hope on the Horizon?
At just 22, Simons signed for Premier League team Tottenham Hotspur in August 2025 in a transfer reported to be worth a hefty €60 million. He was not necessarily the first-choice pick. Rumours swirled that Spurs first failed in an attempt to prise Morgan Gibbs-White from Nottingham Forest, and saw another target, Eberechi Eze, seal a move to archrivals Arsenal.
His first season at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium didn’t go to plan. Spurs recorded a second successive 17th-place finish in the league, but unlike the season prior, won no European silverware, as Tottenham bowed out of the Champions League in the Round of 16. Thomas Frank, the manager who signed Simons, was sacked in February. Frank’s replacement, Igor Tudor, departed after only 44 days in charge. Roberto de Zerbi was brought in to save the campaign from complete disaster, but had to wait until the final day of the season to guarantee Spurs’ safety.
It would be in that crunch time that Simons would have hoped to make the biggest impact. But Simons’ season was cut brutally short when he sustained the aforementioned injury to his anterior cruciate ligament in a 1-0 win against Wolverhampton Wanderers in April. A devastated Simons could only watch the run-in nervously from a hospital bed, something he described as “not easy” (which, as a Spurs fan, may be somewhat understating the stress).
There were some glimmers of Simons’ capabilities before his injury. He particularly impressed in a Champions League home leg against Atletico Madrid, scoring a good goal from outside the area before slotting away a penalty that he won himself after close control in the box. Against Brighton & Hove Albion in April in the Premier League, he assisted Pedro Porro’s header with a dink into the penalty box, before scoring a screamer to put Spurs ahead with minutes left to play. He ripped his shirt off and rushed straight for the fans. That’s the kind of player Xavi is – an emotional one, in the best possible way. Spurs could not avoid a last-minute Brighton equaliser, but there was proof that Simons can make magic happen.
Simons will hope to increase his overall output from his debut campaign, but he thinks that De Zerbi is a manager who will give him the best possible opportunity of doing so. After a season which he admitted was the lowest of his career, with a dressing room split by conflicting opinions and mindsets, he said that the Italian has brought a real mentality change to the club. “I like this guy,” said Simons, at the Union. He trusts in the new coach, and thinks that De Zerbi will let him play his best football. “Everything needs time,” Simons said, but at the same time, he already sees progress. “It is going to be a really good season.”
Evidently, none of the doubts around his transfer, his injury or the team’s poor form can get Simons too downbeat. The experience of being a star from a young age has perhaps given him a maturity far beyond his years. But that stardom has not affected his humility. He was genuinely appreciative of fans who thanked him for his services to clubs and country, and stuck around in the Union bar after for photos and autographs. He stayed away from the drink, of course. Another 6am wakeup always awaits.
