Nolito, the modest Celta Vigo star relishing his shot at the big time with Spain at 29 who is also a Barcelona, Manchester City and Arsenal target

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One of Spain's problems at the last World Cup was an, at times, lousy atmosphere. There were too many players who had already won everything and naturally lacked the enthusiasm and hunger to go after another trophy. 

They were also lacking a striker who could offer what for so many years David Villa had offered. Villa was in the Squad in Brazil but no longer a force to threaten the best defences and his replacement Diego Costa had failed to deliver. This time they have Manuel Agudo Duran – the man everyone calls Nolito – and he ticks both boxes.

No one has done more to turn the Spain camp into a vibrant, positive place in France than the 29-year-old Celta Vigo striker whose shot at the big time has come late in his career. He is determined to grab it with both hands.

Nolito is making the most of his opportunities since being called up to join the Spain squad for Euro 2016

The 29-year-old has added a vibrancy to a Spain squad that had gone stale after their successive triumphs

When the Spain players are trying to relax they tend to sit around the card table and play poker. Gerard Pique is usually the first to take his seat but Nolito is never far behind. The Cadiz-born striker is also an even bigger Flamenco fan than Sergio Ramos and keeps the music turned up on the Isle of Rhe.

Asked why so many people have good things to say about Nolito, the player himself said: 'I try to be a normal person in spite of the repercussions of me being a footballer. I like messing about with friends; I know that when all this ends I will just go back to being somebody normal.'

He still drives a Mini into training in Vigo and he added: 'Of course, as footballers we get paid a lot, some more than others, but the greatest satisfaction comes from making people happy with the football you play. You can't buy that with all the money in the world.'

Nolito admits that footballers get paid a lot but gets his joy from making people happy with his football

He says that he tries to be a normal person as much as possible despite the fact that he is a footballer

Things are not about to go 'back to normal' for a good while yet for Nolito. He will leave Celta Vigo this summer due to a €18million (£13.8m) buy-out clause and his destination is likely to be Manchester City or Barcelona. 

Like England's Jamie Vardy he is proving that life can begin at 30 for a player who works hard enough. This is no non-league to winning-the-league story but it is a fairytale nonetheless. Brought up by his grandparents in a household of 12, Nolito has earned every column inch of praise he has received over the last 12 months.

Nolito was raised by his grandparents after his mother took a wrong turn in life and had to spend two years in prison. Grandmother Dolores and grandfather Manuel were like mum and dad to him.

Nolito, second right, was raised by his grandparents after his mother ended up in prison for two years

Manuel, a Barca fan and the one who first spotted his talent and told him to follow his dream, died in 2008 and Nolito dedicates every goal to his memory. A fisherman by trade, he lived long enough to see his grandson sign for Barca and win a call up to Pep Guardiola's first team squad.

Because Nolito's grandmother had 11 children, including Nolito's mother, it was a lively household. He has over 30 cousins. His uncles and aunts were like brothers and sisters to him. Although there were times when money was short and they had to rely on help from charity to feed their children and their grandchild, no one went without. He also had a healthy work ethic - employed as a butcher's boy when he was 13 - that has served him well in his professional career.

He has now set up home with partner Laura and they have a daughter, Lola. After every goal dedication to grandfather Manuel there is a dedication to her too. He dedicated his goal against Turkey to Iker Casillas as well. He can hardly believe the legendary former Spain captain is now a team-mate, encouraging him from the sidelines.

After every goal Nolito scores he dedicates part of his celebration to his grandfather and his partner Laura

Nolito's international career was a long time in arriving but now it's here he is making the most of it. He has scored five goals and provided four assists in 12 games, which includes five goals in his last five games. With an assist and a goal against Turkey he helped wrap up Spain's second win before half-time. 

The fact that he makes and scores goals and can play wide left or through the middle has drawn comparisons with Villa who remains Spain's all-time top scorer.

Pep Guardiola was a Villa fan and signed him for Barcelona in 2010. This summer he has turned his attention to Nolito, asking Txiki Begiristain to do everything he can to land the former Barca B striker.

Pep Guardiola promoted Nolito to the first team at Barcelona and wants to sign him for Manchester City

It was Guardiola that gave Nolito his full Barcelona debut back in 2010. He joined the club in 2008 to play for the B-team but was called up to the first team two seasons later, coming on for Pedro in a Copa del Rey game. He showed enough at Barcelona to be given the chance to stay but he wanted first team football and that was always going to be more likely away from the Camp Nou.

He went to Benfica in 2011 and soon his No 9 shirt was flying off the rack of the club shop as he made a goalscoring start at his new club. He scored two goals against Trabzonspor in the preliminary round of the Champions League to win them over in just one game. A Bola's headline 'Worthy of Eusebio' underlined how well received he had been.

He even impressed Arsene Wenger in a friendly, scoring and assisting as Benfica beat Arsenal 2-1 in a friendly. Wenger could yet turn to him if he does not land Vardy but he now looks to be in a queue behind Guardiola and Luis Enrique.

Arsene Wenger was impressed by Nolito during a friendly and could turn to him if his Jamie Vardy bid fails

The current Barcelona coach loves the street football style of a player who rages against a generation growing up with the PlayStation replacing the experience of playing outside. 

'They grow up without the street smartness,' he said.

Enrique is a sort of footballing father to him. His direct style might offend some of the more pampered boys he deals with but Nolito was ready to be told what he needed to improve in the plainest terms possible at both Barca B and Celta.

Luis Enrique, who is regarded as Nolito's footballing father due to his coaching, wants to sign him back

The Barcelona coach told him he was a fine player but that he needed to believe in himself and drastically improve his diet. 'I was at a career crossroads when I began to work with him,' he recalls.

Their relationship may be the biggest obstacle in him signing for Manchester City. But Luis Enrique still needs to convince his board that the club should spend nearly £14m on a 30-year-old who will spend much of the season on the bench as Neymar, Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez start games. If he fails to do that then Guardiola's path will be clear.

Before all that gets resolved Nolito has the small matter of making sure Spain win the Euros for the third time running to attend to. A task that has his full and undivided attention. A job that he is doing with a massive smile on his face.