Sergiño Dest is one of the few USMNT players to have the honor of playing alongside Lionel Messi. However, the Almere-born player from the Netherlands still has one big regret during his time at Barcelona.
“With Messi, you’ve got to run because then he’ll give it to you. Unfortunately, it didn’t happen more often because for the first couple of months, you’ve got to understand him, and then he left. I had felt like (if he stayed) the next season I would have had an even better relationship with him,” said Dest in an interview with The Athletic.
When asked about Messi’s feature “that sets him apart“, Dest said without hesitation: “It’s how he sees spaces, and he can put people in positions where all they need to do is apply the little finishing touch.“One time I played left-back, I saw Messi going inside and I was running and was so open. I was thinking, ‘Now I know why it’s so easy just for Jordi Alba to run into space and get the ball and be free’.
Sergiño also did a striking analogy to explain how easy was to play with the now Inter Miami star: ” You’re playing in La Liga but it felt like playing in Eredivisie against a relegation team the amount of space you had because of how good Messi’s passing was. I would have loved more time with him.
2020-21 was the only season Dest got to play with Messi, before the Argentinian’s shocking move to PSG. “We had built rapport. I started to feel more comfortable in the team and knew what I had to do. I was more prepared, mature and developed, and felt the second season would be more successful,” finished the USMNT star.
Inter Miami’s Jordi Alba advice for Dest
One of Barcelona’s key figures, Jordi Alba, took Dest under his wing during that first season. Alba, who has won numerous trophies with both Barcelona and the Spain national team, advised the American not only on his position but also on his career and potential.
“Alba always told me, ‘The only thing that can bring you down is your concentration.’ I know he’s right. If I’m concentrating then I’m a top player and very consistent.
“It’s not easy to get everything right in one year. I was really confident when I arrived but if you play a bad pass early and get players shouting at you, it hits your confidence. They don’t really know you, so they say to play it simple but I need confidence in me to show my quality.” he said.
When will Sergiño Dest play again?
Dest is still recovering from a knee ligament injury he suffered in April. This caused him to miss the end of season in PSV and the Copa America, which was held in his country.
The full-back is halfway through his rehabilitation and hopes to be fit to return in March . He’s expecting to be one of the most influential performers for the USMNT alongside Christian Pulisic and Weston McKennie after the naming of Mauricio Pochettino as the new head coach.