"I needed help and at that time I didn’t have it" - Ex-Barcelona attacker admits he wasn't good enough to play for the club

Former Barcelona flop Gerard Beulofeu admitted that he wasn't good enough to play for the club.

The Spaniard, who is currently plying his trade with Serie A outfit Udinese, was considered one of the brightest young prospects emerging from Barcelona's youth academy, La Masia.

He broke into the first team under Pep Guardiola in 2011 but failed to establish himself before going out on loan spells at Everton and then Sevilla for one season each.

Deulofeu signed permanently for Everton in 2015 but returned to Barcelona two years later, only to struggle for regular gametime once more before joining Watford on another loan.

Remember when Gerard Deulofeu was Barcelona’s next big thing?

If only he did stuff like this more often 👌

https://t.co/3hZUnkCuQX

Across two stints with the Blaugrana, the forward made only 23 appearances, scoring twice and assisting twice as his potential was unfulfilled at the Camp Nou.

The 28-year-old has now reflected on his time at the club, admitting that he 'wasn't up' to the task there, while also claiming he 'didn't have the support' he wanted to succeed at the time.

Speaking to SER Catalunya, he said (via Barca Universal):

“I had two stints at Barça and I am very grateful. I wouldn’t go back to Barça. My time has passed. I arrived at a winning Barça and not at a transitional Barça like now. I was not at the level, I was not up to it."

He added:

“It was difficult to manage if you don’t have the right environment or the right mentality. I needed help and at that time I didn’t have it. Now, fortunately, I do. At that time I thought it was a boom.”

He further stated that being inconsistent cost him but also praised young Barcelona starlets such as Gavi and Pedri:

“No, not wrong. In the end I was a good player, but I was irregular. What I told you. I played one good game and four bad ones. When you come to a Barça like that, you need to be at the level of young, in-form World Cup players like Gavi or Pedri."

He continued:

“They have an incredible level for such young players. I didn’t have it. I didn’t give the performance that Barça’s strikers gave. I had to leave. I was overwhelmed by the boom."

Barcelona flop now has a permanent address in Udinese

2️⃣0️⃣2️⃣2️⃣ #REGENERA ➕@besoccer_ES ⭐️ https://t.co/sHSFw5gv4M

After struggling to find his feet at various clubs, Deulofeu may have found his permanent address in Udinese.

He joined the club in 2020 and came to life last season with 13 goals in Serie A in 34 appearances.

In the new season, his goalscoring form has nosedived a little, scoring only three times, but he has made seven assists to make up for that.