In Spain, there are two academy systems that stand out above all others for their productivity in developing young talents.
One is Barcelona's world-renowned La Masia, while the other is a little less well-known outside of Spain: Real Sociedad's Zubieta.
Xabi Alonso, Mikel Oyarzabal and Xabi Prieto are just some of the players to emerge in San Sebastian and go onto represent the Spain national team in recent years, and the academy's good work is currently being highlighted by La Real's largely-homegrown squad being top of La Liga heading into November.
One player who has begun making his mark on Imanol Alguacil's first-team squad is teenager Robert Navarro, who actually possesses an almost unique distinction in having learned at not one, but both of Spain's greatest youth football institutions.
Navarro, you see, was a one-time Barcelona wonderkid, regarded by many onlookers as one of the best midfield talents among his cohort within the walls of La Masia having joined the club at the age of 10.
It was for that reason his departure as a 16-year-old in the summer of 2018 made headlines inside and outside of Catalunya, with Navarro among the exodus of precocious youngsters during Josep Maria Bartomeu's time as president of the club.
Xavi Simons joined Paris Saint-Germain, Sergio Gomez departed for Borussia Dortmund while Navarro - who had reported interest from Arsenal and Manchester City - opted for Monaco after losing confidence in the pathway Barca had set out in terms of edging him towards the first team.
Monaco were successful in enticing talented youngsters following the breakthrough of Kylian Mbappe at the Stade Louis II, and managed to bring both Navarro and Barca team-mate Jordi Mboula to the principality.
Navarro's stay, though, lasted barely a year. He did become the youngest player in Monaco history when he debuted against Canal Roussilon in the Coupe de France aged 16 years and 270 days, but that proved to be his only senior appearance for the club.
That is where Real Sociedad come in, as they made what was seen at the time as an ambitious bid to bring Navarro back to his homeland, offering him a three-year contract in the summer of 2019 that could be extended by a further three years.
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Unsurprisingly given his past, Navarro's arrival at the Anoeta Stadium drove a lot of interest, but perhaps what was most intriguing was that the teenager would get to learn under a midfield icon, Xabi Alonso.
Following his retirement, Alonso was placed in charge of the Real Sociedad 'B' team - a side almost exclusively made up of academy players that, at the time, played in the third tier of Spanish football.
That role put him in direct contact with Zubieta's newest diamond, Navarro, and though their first season together was a relatively quiet one in terms of attacking output for Navarro, his performances over the course of the 2020-21 campaign showed just why La Real were so keen to bring him in.
In 26 games, Navarro contributed 11 goals and five assists to guide La Real 'B' towards an unprecedented promotion to the Segunda Division, with his final strike of the campaign coming in the play-off semi-final win over Andorra.
"Robert has great potential," Alonso said at the start of Navarro's fantastic campaign. "He is an unbalancing player.
"When you like to express yourself and have creativity, you have to combine that creativity with great efficiency. Then you can become a good player, not just a pretty one, and that's where we are with Robert."
Navarro's performances saw him earn a number of opportunities to train with La Real's senior squad over the course of the campaign, and he even made his first-team debut in December 2020 when coming on for the final 35 minutes against former club Barca at Camp Nou.
That proved to be his only appearance of the season, but his involvement has grown in 2021-22, with the 19-year-old now a regular in Imanol's matchday squad having made it onto the pitch on four occasions in La Liga this term.
Being around the first-team squad means Navarro is now getting the chance to learn under another legendary Spanish midfielder in team-mate David Silva.
"Training and playing alongside him is incredible," he told SportsFinding.com. "I look at him and learn everything I can, and he gives me a lot of advice, because that way he will allow me to continue growing because I am young.
"I want to imitate him in his effort and work, because that is not seen, but he is a great professional too."
Navarro certainly seems to be picking up the right kind of tips, with one of his displays this season, against Levante, described as "terrifying" by Mundo Deportivo, despite him being on the pitch for just eight minutes.
A more upright dribbler than your average attacking midfielder, Navarro's right foot is what makes him so special, with the teenager able to both pick a pass and shoot with unerring accuracy.
And while he still has some distance to go with his development, he could barely have had any better teachers so far.
'Made in La Masia' or 'Made in Zubieta' is a badge any Spanish footballer would love to have. Navarro has both, and he looks set to make the most of it.
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