OXFORD United midfielder Xemi said he was 'proud' of his fellow Catalans after voting in the state's independence referendum, despite violent scenes on the streets of the city.

The Spanish government declared Sunday's vote on whether Catalonia should break from the rest of Spain illegal and riot police were deployed in a last minute effort to stop people getting to polling stations. 

At least 844 people and 33 police were reported to have been hurt in the clashes.

Xemi, who joined United from Barcelona B in July, flew home late on Saturday night after travelling with the first team to their fixture against Peterborough on Saturday.

The 22-year-old said: “I only had a few hours but I wanted to be there and vote because I think that as a democratic country something you have to do is vote, it’s a right.

“The only problem that I had voting was it was so massive the (number of) people who came where I had to vote that I couldn’t.

"I had to go to a small village 30 minutes away from Barcelona to vote there because it was impossible.”

2.26 million Catalans – 43 per cent of the region’s 5.3 million eligible voters - took part in the referendum with 90 per cent of people voting in favour of independence, according to the Catalan government.

Xemi said the force used by police made him 'really sad' and should 'never happen'. 

The player, who trained alongside the likes of Lionel Messi whilst at Barcelona, said he was proud that Catalans acted 'in a really pacific, democratic way' in response. 

He said: “For me it’s not anger, it’s so sad that people want to talk and vote and you respond to that with violence.

"I think it’s not the (right) way and this has to change.”

Xemi returned to Oxford on Sunday and is likely to feature in the club's game against Brighton & Hove Albion Under 21s in the Checkatrade Trophy on Tuesday night.