Marc-Andre ter Stegen talks Pedri, Flick, Lewandowski, Messi, Suarez | OneFootball

Barcelona goalkeeper and captain Marc-Andre ter Stegen is approaching the final stages of his recovery.

After suffering a complete tear of the patellar tendon in his right knee in September, the German goalkeeper has returned to group training and is expected to be available for Barcelona in the final stretch of the season.

During this recovery process, Ter Stegen spoke at length on the Phrasenmäher podcast, hosted by BILD (h/t SPORT), discussing several key aspects of his time at Barcelona – particularly this season under fellow German Hansi Flick.

Praising the manager for the way he works with the team, the veteran star said:

“The way Hansi manages and how much he values his staff is something that is appreciated and reciprocated by those around him. He is very good at empathising with people and understanding what moves them.

“He often finds the right words, sometimes says very clearly what annoys him, but always strikes a good balance, also with young players, and manages to get everyone on the same page.”

Ter Stegen was full of praise for Pedri. (Photo by Yasser Bakhsh/Getty Images)

Ter Stegen then hailed Pedri and his evolution in Flick’s setup this season, backing the 22-year-old to achieve a lot of success at Barcelona.

“You can see right now that it is simply very harmonious. For me, he is already a phenomenon, and I would not be surprised if he ends up wearing the captain’s armband. He will shape this club for a long time,” he said.

The German international also briefly spoke about which of the forwards he had played at Barcelona he synced with the most, while also sharing his thoughts about the understanding he has with Robert Lewandowski.

“Whenever I was looking for someone in defence, Leo Messi was the one who found the best solution. With Luis Suarez, it was also easy at the beginning because we understood each other perfectly,” he said.

“And now it is the same with Lewy (Robert Lewandowski). At first, we had to get used to each other, since Manuel Neuer plays a bit differently than I do, but that worked quickly. You either have rhythm or you do not – and Lewy definitely has it.”