Jeremy Mathieu has admitted that he was ‘surprised’ Barcelona opted to sign him from Valencia.
The French centre-back completed his switch from Mestalla to Camp Nou last week for a fee of around €20m.
And the 30-year-old has conceded that he was shocked at being the Blaugrana’s option to replace Carles Puyol.
“I was surprised that Barca signed me, although I know that they were following me for two years,” he told reporters at the club arrived in Nice for a friendly.
“We’re raring to play a game, even if it’s a friendly. It’s always special coming to France, my country, and doing so with a team like Barcelona is very significant. T
“his is a huge club and I want to be a success here. I’ve felt really comfortable since my first day here, which is very important in terms of integration. I feel I’m up to the task of playing for Barca.
“It’s true that there was criticism of my arrival. Being in the starting line-up would give me confidence and if I’m not in the team I’ll have to keep on training hard to achieve that aim.”
