The 18-year-old left-back appeared for the first time in European competition on Tuesday, and relished the chance to line up alongside Leo
Barcelona defender Juan Miranda revealed the advice he received from Lionel Messi before making his Champions League debut against Tottenham.
Miranda, 18, was handed a start as an understrength Barca played out a 1-1 draw with Spurs at Camp Nou on Tuesday.
It was the left-back’s third appearance for Barcelona’s first team and the youngster is clearly still getting used to playing alongside Messi and some of the other star names at the club.
Miranda played 90 minutes and says Messi told him simply to enjoy the moment against the Premier League outfit before the game.
“Messi told me to just be myself and to enjoy it,” Miranda said, via UEFA.com.
“Everything’s easier when you’ve got Messi by your side.”
The iconic forward came on in the second half, but Lucas Moura cancelled out Ousmane Dembele’s stunning opener to earn Spurs the draw they needed to progress from Group B.
The Catalan giants had already sealed top spot in the group and went through undefeated.
Messi has netted 17 goals in 18 appearances this season, with his latest strikes coming in Barca’s 4-0 win over Espanyol on Saturday, where he scored two free-kicks.
Eyebrows were raised when it emerged that the Barcelona star had finished as low as fifth in the rankings for the latest Ballon d’Or.
But the 33-year-old seems as determined as ever to have a successful season, with Barcelona currently top of La Liga and five points clear of fourth placed Real Madrid.
Miranda was the youngest player on the pitch on the night and gave first choice left-back Jordi Alba a much-needed rest, with the Spain defender starting and completing 21 matches so far this season.
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