Kevin-Prince Boateng has opened up on what it was like playing with Barcelona star Lionel Messi, stating that he was so impressive that he considered giving up playing.
The 33-year-old, who currently plies his trade in Serie B at Monza, played alongside the six-time Ballon d'Or winner in a short-term loan spell last year.
Boateng has lifted the lid on what working with Messi was like, admitting that before his temporary move from Sassuolo he regarded Portugal star Cristiano Ronaldo as the best around.
'Training with Messi left me speechless,' he told DAZN.
'I had always said that Cristiano Ronaldo was the best in the world, but Messi is something else. He's not normal.
'While training with him, I felt inadequate for the first time in my career. He was doing incredible things. I felt like saying, "I'm done, I'm going to quit playing!"'
Boateng was part of the LaLiga title-winning squad at the end of the 2018-19 campaign and he has admitted that he was surprised he was given the opportunity to join the Catalan giants in the first place.
'The six months at Barcelona were incredible,' he added. 'At first, I didn't believe it. I thought it was Espanyol who wanted me, not the real Barcelona!'
Since making four appearances for Barca, the midfielder has played for Fiorentina, Beskitas and now Monza following previous stints at the likes of Tottenham, Portsmouth and AC Milan.
