Barca's Gundogan reveals Messi is his idol

Ilkay Gundogan has joined Barcelona as a free agent this summer. The 32-year-old has always wanted to be part of the Catalan giants. He revealed in an interview that Lionel Messi was one of his childhood idols.
"Since I was a child I just adored Barcelona. With players like Ronaldinho and [Lionel] Messi, and then [Sergio] Busquets, [Andres] Iniesta, Xavi... I always said to myself that when I got the opportunity one day, I didn't want to miss out," he told 'ESPN'.
"My first impressions [of Xavi] were amazing, exactly what I expected. We spoke before the transfer on the phone and he explained a few things to me, his idea [of football], which is quite similar to Man City... We already have a great bond and it's just going to get better," he added.
The German also spoke about his new teammates and the relationship they are forging. "I've known [Robert] Lewandowski for a long time. I know [goalkeeper] Marc [ter Stegen]... There's a lot of quality in the team, a lot of young players with huge potential.
"I see my role as helping them and allowing them to shine on the pitch. Frenkie is still very young too... I think I can be someone who can help them and guide them a little bit, and try to make them express themselves even more," he claimed.