Watford forward Gerard Deulofeu has no intention of returning to boyhood club Barcelona as he feels at home in the Premier League.
The 24-year-old Spaniard came through Barça’s illustrious La Masia youth academy before enjoying loan spells at Everton and Sevilla.
He’d join the former on a permanent basis, though competition for places meant a temporary stay at AC Milan. His subsequent performances in Serie A would lead him back to Barcelona but his situation never changed and he’s seemingly put ever playing for his boyhood club again firmly behind him.
“That was difficult. When I was young it was terrible. Every day in the media you are the ‘New Messi’, and that’s not good for a young player,” he told the Offside Rule Exclusives podcast.
“I’m a former Barcelona player, but maybe my style is more similar to the one of a Real Madrid or Manchester City player.
“I didn’t take the chance of staying at Barcelona because playing there is so difficult and sometimes I didn’t have the chance, the confidence of Barcelona.”
“But now I’m here at Watford, I’m still young and the coach is tough. He is always trying to get the best out of me, which is good because if not you will be asleep on the pitch and you go down,” he added.
“I said I will not come back to Barcelona. We tried two times (Barca sold him to Everton in 2015 then bought him back two years later), and if those two times doesn’t work, I don’t want to try three times… it’s too hard.
“I had been at Barcelona since I was nine years old, but sometimes you don’t feel hope. My best football is in the Premier League and Watford put a lot of confidence in me.”
Deulofeu: the story so far
A graduate of La Masia, Deulofeu would ultimately play six times for the senior team without contributing to a single goal.
With first-team opportunities scarce, Deulofeu would go on loan to Sevilla after spending a year at Everton, where for a time he would call Goodison Park home, making a permanent move to Merseyside in 2015.
The Spanish international made 75 appearances for the Toffees, scoring eight goals and registering 19 assists before relocating to the San Siro with AC Milan.
Across a total of 18 appearances for Vincenzo Montella’s side the Spaniard registered four goals while creating a further three for his teammates.
Deulofeu returned to Barça and featured across 17 matches, registering two goals and three assists, before joining Watford on loan (to date he has made 11 appearances scoring twice).
The post Deulofeu has no interest in returning to Barcelona for a third time appeared first on Squawka News.
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