Dundee United new-boy David Babunski says learning the Barcelona way from the likes of Xavi, Andres Iniesta and Lionel Messi was the most enriching period of his career.
North Macedonia international Babunski, who joined newly-promoted Dundee United a fortnight ago, left his native Skopje to join Barcelona’s famed La Masia academy as a youth team player.
Babunski counted Adama Traore and Gerard Deulofeu among his former academy team-mates, and had the opportunity as a youngster to step up from Barcelona’s B team to train alongside some of the greatest players of their generation.
Dundee United secured their Scottish Premiership return at the first attempt
“That was maybe the best generation in Barca’s history for what they accomplished, the way they played and the way that they transformed football,” Babunski told Sky Sports News ahead of Sunday’s derby game at home to Dundee.
“To be able to learn so closely from all of them was, for me, a privilege. When I look back to those years at Barcelona, they were the most enriching ones for me, definitely.
“When I first came, it was the time that Ronaldinho had come to Barca, so he was kind of our first idol there.
“I was 12 or 13 years old, and then later on, it was players playing in my position like Andres Iniesta, Thiago Alcantra and Xavi, of course. Those were the players that I was looking up to.
Thiago Alcantara left Liverpool at th end of last season to rejoin Barcelona as a cocah
“I extracted different things out of different players. Overrall, I would say Andres Inesta (had real stardust about him). He’s maybe the player I tried to learn from the most.
“It’s about how they think about the game (that’s what separated them from other players). It’s about how they understand and interpret the different situations, and the decisions that they would make, accordingly.
Pep Guardiola greets Xavi Hernandez at a charity friendly between Barcelona and Manchester two years ago
“Obviously the technique that they have is outstanding, second to no-one, but without that intelligence, that technique wouldn’t do much.
“With the coaching of Pep Guardiola, Luis Enrique and the Barca way of thinking, I think the impact that they had on the game is unique.”
Babunski: Messi would make me look good!
“The advantage in Barca is that the structure of the training sessions are very similar from the youth categories all the way into the first team,” he continued.
“So when you arrive to the first team, you kind of find yourself in a familiar environment in terms of the exercises that you do and the instructions that you are given, and what is expected from you football-wise.
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“The connection between the players of the youth category and the first team is very close, so they know you by your name already when you come there. It makes everything much easier.
“And then it’s easier when you receive a pass from Messi – or when you give a bad pass to him he will just control it anyway. So you look much better when you play surrounded by these players!”
Babunski: We’ll give everything we’ve got to beat Dundee
Babunski is no stranger to derbies, and says he will draw on his experience of playing against the likes of Barcelona’s city rivals Espanyol and in Mini El Clasico’s against Real Madrid for Dundee United’s season-opening derby with Dundee, live and exclusive on Sky Sports on Sunday.
“In the youth categories at Barcelona it was always a big game when we played Espanyol – that was a big derby,” he said.
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Dundee United manager Jim Goodwin insists they are ready to make an impact on their Scottish Premiership return.
“And in several youth tournaments we faced Real Madrid and there were Mini El Clasicos when I was at Barca B as well when we played against Real Madrid B team in the second division.
“So I know how important a derby is for the fans of the club, for the city. And with that awareness, we are going to work hard this week to prepare well and go out there on Sunday and give everything we’ve got to win.”
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