Ousmane Dembélé thrilled to be back for 'the games that matter most'

Ousmane Dembélé has described his first six months as a Barça player in an exclusive interview with French publication Onze Mondial, in which he speaks of the two injuries he has had to overcome before settling properly into Ernesto Valverde’s first team plans.

The French international was outstanding in the 6-1 defeat of Girona, playing on the right and providing one assist.

Here are some of the standout quotes from the interview

The transfer

“I spoke with the new coach and Samu [Umtiti] before I came to Barcelona. That made it all feel much more natural”.

First months

“It’s all gone well. The first few games helped me to adapt”.

“I got injured, but I tried to stay calm. I felt it was better for that to have happened at the start of the season than towards the end, when the really big games come”.

“I’ve hired an osteopath and a cook. A good diet is essential for a player and I need to look after myself”.

Messi and Suárez

“Me and Luis have hit it off well together. We both like joking about”.

“I’ve fought hard to get where I am. I always knew I was going to play with Messi one day”.

The style

“I’m ambidextrous. I prefer to dribble with the left but I like shooting with my right foot”.

“I’m not selfish on the pitch. Otherwise I wouldn’t have made 21 assists last season.”