Eric: I never thought I could achieve what I am today; Mascherano is my idol

Hupu September 13th Eric Garcia has become one of the most eye-catching players in Barcelona's opening stage of the season. He has been a key member of the Red and Blues last season, and since the preseason, Frick has expressed great trust in him. The player from Martorel started in the first three league games and he will undoubtedly be crucial in both centre-back and right-back positions.

In this brilliant moment of the Catalan defender, he became the protagonist of the latest episode of the reporter Rodrigo Faes YouTube channel series "Spend 24 Hours with Professional Players". In the video, Eric commented on his time in Manchester, his life in Barcelona, ​​telling frankly about his football career starting with the Barcelona youth echelon and showing off the incredible gym at his home. The story between

and Barcelona

The story between Eric Garcia and Barcelona began in 2008, when he entered the Barcelona Football School from Martorel. Today, 17 years later, the Catalan has successfully gained a foothold in the first team. "There is a dream to go so far, but you never imagined that you would be able to achieve what you are today. When I first started to go to Lamacia Football School, it was a huge change for me and my parents. As time passed, the dreams were getting closer and closer."

Own idol

The central defender produced by Lamacia admitted that he started playing in a higher position, but as time went by, his position gradually moved backward. His two idols are Puyol and Mascherano, especially the latter: "I pay great attention to him because of his spirit and temperament, he is a player who can play a lot of positions, which is very important. He is not very tall, but when he competes with those 'beasts', he is very smart, which surprised me," Eric said affirmed.

Eric Garcia himself is also versatile and not too tall, and he emphasizes that wisdom is the most important thing: "If you play a 1.95-meter forward, you know if you don't interfere with him in the jump, he will win the confrontation. There are a lot of central defenders, they are not as tall as me, but there is no problem. Neither Kubasi nor me are towers, but it turns out that this position has evolved a lot," he said.

His time in Manchester

After his years in La Macia, Eric decided to go to Manchester City to find opportunities. There, he was able to adapt to the game style that benefits from "there are a lot of Spanish in the staff and the academy" and similar to Barcelona. However, he said he would still miss the good weather and food in Catalonia.

After returning to Barcelona, ​​the capital of Catalonia, his reputation grew, and he became accustomed to it. Still, he said that in his town, people were used to seeing him. Eric was delighted to live in Martorel: “I prefer the tranquility of life in small cities,” he admitted. In addition, he values ​​being close to his relatives and friends. "Playing football in your hometown, having friends and family around you, being able to live where you have always lived is priceless."

In his home, Eric displays his gym, which is full of murals of his NBA superstars, such as Curry, Kobe and Jordan, and he emphasizes their mentality and work attitude. The Catalan central defender also revealed his daily fitness plan: "I try to come in the afternoon, do strength training or recovery training. I have developed the habit of doing a little bit every day, and if I don't do it, I will feel dissatisfied with myself. Physical fitness is becoming more and more important in football, not to mention that there is a game every three days."