Barca hand Iniesta contract for lifetime

But club captain says new deal doesn't means he will outstay his welcome

BARCELONA: Barcelona tied down captain Andres Iniesta for the rest of his career as the club announced on Friday the 33-year-old midfielder has agreed the first "lifetime contract" in Barca's history.

"It is a way of rewarding an exceptional player," said Barcelona president Josep Maria Bartomeu.

Iniesta insisted, though, that he has not planned any future role with the club beyond his playing career.

"The lifetime title doesn't mean that I will remain here just for the sake of it. It isn't my way of doing things," said Iniesta. "When I don't have the same force or importance I have always had things can always change. Today I am hugely grateful for the confidence the club has shown in me."

Along with five-time World Player of the Year Lionel Messi, Iniesta is Barca's most decorated player of all-time having won 30 trophies at club level, including eight La Liga and four Champions League titles.

Iniesta has also made the second highest number of appearances in a Barca shirt behind Xavi Hernandez with 639 since his debut 15 years ago.

"There is no other player in the club like him. He will be a reference for future generations," added Bartomeu. "I always say to the kids in the academy, to fixate on him as a player and a person."

Born in the central Spanish region of Castilla-La Mancha before joining Barca at the age of 12, Iniesta is a beloved figure across Spain as he scored the winning goal in the 2010 World Cup final.

Normally determined to shy away from the spotlight, Iniesta repeated his call for cool heads and negotiation to prevent a spiralling political crisis over the battle for Catalan independence deepening.