Lucas Digne believes Barcelona are still ‘the biggest club in the world’ but reveals he had to beg for his summer switch to Everton.
Digne spent two seasons playing second fiddle to Jordi Alba at left-back, prior to signing for Everton in an €20m deal, and the Frenchman confessed that was the only motivation for him leaving Camp Nou.
“Of course, Barca is the biggest club in the world – and everybody knows that,” he told The Mirror.
“But I came to Everton because I felt there was a very good project here. “I had such a good feeling about the club that I said to Barcelona, ‘please let me leave to go to join Everton because it’s the best thing for me and my career.’
“In the beginning, they didn’t want to sell me. But when the Coach Marco Silva called me I had such a good feeling. I knew I wanted to come Goodison Park.
“Now I am here, I want to win a lot of games and, if it’s possible, a trophy too. This year the objective is to be better than last year and, if it’s possible, to win something.
“We all know the story of how long it has been since Everton won a trophy, but why not?
“Training alongside great players has made me better – but, for me, Messi is the best in the world.
“Messi is pure talent. He sees everything before anybody else. You know what he wants to do, but you just can’t stop it.
“You close his left foot, he goes to the right. You close the right side, he goes with his left. We trained every day for two years and it was crazy.
“I also played against him twice for Roma against Barcelona. Let’s just say it was a hard game!”
