CHASING Xavi’s shadow has a silver lining after all for James Morrison.

The Barcelona playmaker’s dominance in the middle of the park left the Albion star dazzled when he was part of the Scotland team that was run ragged by Spain in midweek.

Morrison admitted that he couldn’t get near the creative playmaker as his country’s faint hopes of Euro 2012 qualification were dashed by a 3-1 defeat in Alicante on Tuesday night.

But the 25-year-old admits that brushing shoulders with the world champions has taught him a thing or two – which he plans to put to good use in today’s Black Country derby fixture with Wolves.

“Hopefully I can take a bit of confidence from the Spain game, and maybe a few lessons about being good on the ball and keeping your composure,” he said.

“Playing against Spain was a real eye-opener for me, and a great game to be a part of. It’s totally different playing against them to watching them.

“I’m like everybody else. You see them every week on TV and see how good they are, but when you’re on the same field it’s different.

“Xavi, I just didn’t realise he was that good, he’s probably their best player.

“I couldn’t get near him. Every time I tried to get close he passed the ball on.

“In all my Premier League games I have never come up against somebody as good as him.

“Normally you might try and get an arm up, get close, but it just didn’t matter.

“Every one of our players said that about whoever they were up against. They all pass on the right side, move, interchange, and deal with the ball.

“They’re such a great team and when you think they had Fabregas out as well!

“The only consolation for me was that it was a fantastic experience.”

The Baggies midfielder has come up against some tough opponents in the Premier League in the past but reckons Spain are in a league of their own.

“In big games for West Brom I felt like I could get close to opposition players,” he added. You come off the field and, okay, you might have been beaten sometimes, but you feel like you have done yourself justice.

“But against Spain, hands down, you’ve been nowhere near. The scoreline was ok, we gave it a good go, and we can take credit because we fought well, but ultimately we know just what the difference was.”

Despite the defeat, Morrison enjoyed the experience but knows he can’t afford to dwell on it as his thoughts must now be on Albion.

Coming up against tough-tackling Karl Henry poses a completely different challenge, but the ex-Middlesborough man says he will enjoy it just as much,