David Babunski: Learning from Barcelona’s Legends was the Most Enriching Period of My Career
David Babunski, the new signing of Dundee United, has spoken about the incredible experience of learning from the likes of Xavi, Andres Iniesta, and Lionel Messi during his time at Barcelona’s famed La Masia academy.
The North Macedonian international joined Barcelona’s youth team at the age of 12 and spent several years honing his skills alongside some of the greatest players of his generation. Babunski believes that the time he spent at Barcelona was the most enriching period of his career, allowing him to learn from the best and develop his own game.
"I was 12 or 13 years old when I first came to Barca, and then later on, it was players playing in my position like Andres Iniesta, Thiago Alcantara, and Xavi," Babunski said in an exclusive interview with Sky Sports News. "Those were the players that I was looking up to. I extracted different things out of different players. Overall, I would say Andres Iniesta had real stardust about him. He’s maybe the player I tried to learn from the most."
Babunski’s time at Barcelona was marked by the influence of coaches like Pep Guardiola and Luis Enrique, who instilled a sense of teamwork and camaraderie among the players. The 28-year-old midfielder believes that this team-first mentality was a key factor in his development as a player.
"The connection between the players of the youth category and the first team is very close, so they know you by your name already when you come there," Babunski explained. "It makes everything much easier. And then it’s easier when you receive a pass from Messi – or when you give a bad pass to him, he will just control it anyway. So you look much better when you play surrounded by these players!"
As Babunski prepares to face off against Dundee in the Scottish Premiership, he is drawing on his experience of playing in high-pressure derbies against the likes of Espanyol and Real Madrid. The midfielder believes that the intensity of these matches will serve him well in the upcoming derby against his new club’s city rivals.
"In the youth categories at Barcelona, it was always a big game when we played Espanyol – that was a big derby," Babunski said. "And in several youth tournaments, we faced Real Madrid and there were Mini El Clasicos when I was at Barca B as well when we played against Real Madrid B team in the second division. So I know how important a derby is for the fans of the club, for the city. And with that awareness, we are going to work hard this week to prepare well and go out there on Sunday and give everything we’ve got to win."
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