Lionel Messi is one of the biggest superstars in the footballing world to graduate from the famous La Masia academy of Barcelona. And every time a young attacking player at the club shows signs of promise he is compared to the great Argentine and is dubbed as the ‘next Messi’. However, this could put a lot of pressure on the young shoulders and former Barcelona youth academy product Gerard Deulofeu revealed just how challenging it is. ‘Better Than Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi and Neymar Jr’: Former Brazil International Edilson Makes Bold Claim.

La Masia has produced the likes of Lionel Messi, Xavi, Andres Iniesta, Sergio Busquests and Pedro and Gerard Deulofeu hoped to follow the similar path. However with some heavyweights of the footballing world in front of him at the pecking order, the winger was tempted to leave the club and sign with Premier League side Watford in search of regular minutes. Lionel Messi Admits Barcelona Cannot Win Champions League, Asks for Massive Improvement in Team Performance.

During an interview with beIN Sports, Deulofeu said ‘When you're young at Barca there are a lot of eyes on you, many people who think you will be the next Iniesta, the next Messi, stars of football. That is hard because young players have to work calmly, every day, without pressure. You should learn and work but some people talk too much and they create a dream for you that is very difficult to reach.’

‘I'm proud to have formed at Barcelona because I learned a lot from their academy, but all people know my time in the first team wasn't the best. That was my objective and I did not manage to reach it.’ He added.

The winger joined Watford in 2018 and since then has established himself as one of the top players in the English league. ‘It was very hard because you're playing well for Barca B and you have to decide if you want to be patient or leave and live other experiences. I want to play, and that doesn't matter if I'm at Barca, Watford or Bayern. What I want is to be on the pitch and be happy.’ The 26-year-old added.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on May 15, 2020 11:47 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).