Ghanaian midfielder Kevin-Prince Boateng has disclosed that Lionel Messi was so good during his stint at Barcelona, that he thought about hanging up his boots entirely.
The 33-year joined the Spanish giants on loan from Sassuolo in January last year, and managed to win a La Liga title in his six-month stint despite making handful of appearances.
Boateng would subsequently move on to Fiorentina and then Besiktas before joining Serie B outfit Monza ahead of the current season.
Recalling his time at Camp Nou in the 2018-19 season, Boateng admits that he could scarcely believe he was wanted by a club like Barca when he got word of their interest.
"The six months at Barcelona were incredible," Boateng told DAZN. "At first, I didn't believe it. I thought it was Espanyol who wanted me, not the real Barcelona!
"Training with Messi left me speechless. I had always said that Cristiano Ronaldo was the best in the world, but Messi is something else. He's not normal.
"While training with him, I felt inadequate for the first time in my career. He was doing incredible things. I felt like saying, 'I'm done, I'm going to quit playing!'"
Boateng has previously played in England, Germany, Italy and Spain.