Bojan Krkic is enjoying playing under less pressure with Stoke City than he faced at Barcelona.

"I love the passion at Barcelona, I have grown up in a Latin country after all, but I like it better here. In Spain, people do not respect the players, the same as in Italy," said Bojan.

"In England it looks like a different world, the people admire the players but also respect them. Here is better, more tranquil."

Bojan made his first-team debut with Barcelona at a younger age than Lionel Messi and was constantly compared to him.

"At the time. I thought I didn't feel pressure but when I look back now, I can see it is difficult for a 17-year-old boy to get by and deal with the whole situation," admits Bojan, who is still just 24.

"Everything changed for me overnight. A lot of my friends would still be at school and if I tried to go out with them, it would suddenly be very complicated.

"Fans would run up to me if I'd go through the streets, My family lived in a village rather than the city but supporters would still come to my house. One newspaper portrayed me as a super-hero.

"I lost some of my childhood and that is one of the things I am most sensitive about and touched me the most. I am a family person but there were many moments I didn't haven't the chance to enjoy with them, even though I know football has given me other things."

Bojan fell out of favor at Barcelona after it appeared he'd be another prodigy.

"I grew up at Barcelona in one of the golden ages with the best players in the world. Every day we learned with the ball, and that was critical.

"But when you play with a big club, you need to get results every single day, even more when you come from the house (home-grown). It's not easy.

"Frank Rijkaard was my first coach in the first-team and I played well and scored. In my second year, they changed the trainers (to Pep Guardiola) and the chances and opportunities were different."