Lucas Digne reveals the real reason why he left Barcelona | OneFootball

Lucas Digne has revealed that he left Barcelona for Everton over the summer because the Merseyside club gave him the “wow factor”.

The 25-year-old spent two seasons at Camp Nou but struggled to establish himself as a first team regular and played just 46 times for Ernesto Valverde’s men.

Since his switch to Goodison Park though, the left-back has enjoyed something of a renaissance and started 10 times already for Marco Silva’s men.

Having been rewarded with a return to the France squad, the defender has now claimed that it was the force of Everton’s will that saw him leave Spain.

“I wasn’t really planning to leave Barça and they were not looking to sell me, but when I spoke to Everton manager Marco Silva on the phone I got this special feeling,” he told Goal. “He really lit a fire inside of me and I thought: ‘Wow! I really want to play for this club and manager.’

“Then I went to Barça and asked them to please let me go. After a few talks, they accepted, that this was my wish. I am thankful for that, because now I feel happy in Everton.

“Barça was my childhood dream, so yes, it was difficult to leave, because I could have stayed to continue a great life in the club and the city. The club wanted me to stay.

“But I am 25 years old now and in a phase of my career, where I want to play every week, have a bigger role in the team and feel the full confidence of the coach. So I could not turn down the Everton project.

“I was only 22 when I signed for Barça, and it was the perfect place to develop myself. In my two years at Camp Nou I played 46 games for what I consider the greatest club in the world, training every day with the very top players in the world, like Lionel Messi, Andres Iniesta, Neymar and so many more.

“Of course, I am a better player now. I enjoyed both seasons in Barça tremendously and chose to leave after a great season, winning the double in Spain, playing fantastic football, and for me personally developing as a player.”

After an impressive start to the campaign, Digne is almost certain to start for Les Bleus when they take on Netherlands on Friday in Rotterdam.