Yerry Mina ready to 'learn from the best'

Yerry Mina is officially an FC Barcelona player, and he’s very happy indeed about it, as he never tired of reminding us at his first press conference after putting pen to paper and being unveiled before over 8,000 fans at the Camp Nou.

“I’m delighted because this is a dream that I have worked so hard for” he told the media, including a large number of reporters from his native Colombia.

“I’ve always been one to keep my feet on the ground and my eyes in the sky” he added.

But speaking of feet, what was the story with his appearance barefoot on the pitch this afternoon? He says it’s something he always does when he arrives at a new stadium because “it’s a way of thanking everyone for everything they have done for me. It’s a show of respect. But I don’t do it at every stadium I visit. Only in my own stadiums.”

Easy choice

“I didn’t think twice about coming here. I’ll be with the best players in the world and I’ll work hard to make a contribution and learn from them”.

Settling in

“I’m not worried. Barça is a big club and you can sense the atmosphere from inside and out. I need to take things a step at a time and adapt to the club and my team-mates”.

Support from home

“I’d like to thank all the Colombians that came here to welcome me. It made me very happy”.

Meeting Messi

“Meeting Leo was very special. I like him. I admire his humility. It was a very spcial moment when he came over to say hello”.

Barça style

“I have always liked the way Barça play and I’ve been watching the team for a long time. They’re incredible”.

First impressions

“The way everyone has received me has been spectacular, all on the same day as that great win against Celta”.

Role models

“I have always been a fan of the big name players like Piqué, Mascherano, Umtiti and Vermaelen”.