Kevin-Prince Boateng Hails 'Incredible' Barcelona Team-Mate Lionel Messi

Kevin-Prince Boateng has said he has a different appreciation for the "incredible" Lionel Messi now that he is playing alongside rather than against him. 

The 32-year-old made a surprise loan move to the Camp Nou from Sassuolo back in January to act as a back-up to striker Luis Suarez.

He has been used only sparingly, making two appearances in La Liga and one in the Copa del Rey.

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However, playing with Messi has clearly had an impact on Boateng, and he has now explained what motivates the five-time Ballon d'Or winner, per Goal's Daniel Herzog and DAZN:

"When you play against [Messi], you see that he is strong. When you play with him every day, you can see how incredible he is. If he feels like it, he scores two or three goals. If we fall behind with 1-0, he gets angry, scores three goals and then we go home with an easy win.

"Of course [Messi is a leader]. If you have a player in the team who can decide every game, he is a leader. Lionel does not talk much in the locker room, but when it comes down to it, he talks. He is so strong that you have to follow him."

Boateng also revealed to Herzog and DAZN that he was as surprised as anyone when he found out Barcelona were interested in him:

"[The transfer to Barcelona] went also very fast for me. I just have the best agent in the world. He called me one day and said, 'You have to play well against Inter Milan [on January 19], someone is watching.' But he didn't tell me who is watching. ...

"I was the best man on the pitch, and after the game my agent came to me and said, 'We're going to Barcelona.' I thought he meant Espanyol. But he immediately said, 'No, the right ones.' That was incredible. I could not believe it until the sporting director called me."

Boateng is one of the most well-travelled players in European football:

Before joining Barca, he came up against them with two separate clubs.

In his season at Las Palmas in 2016-17, Boateng played in both La Liga defeats to the Blaugrana. And in his first spell with AC Milan between 2010 and 2013, the Rossoneri played Barca six times in the UEFA Champions League.

Barca have made it to the semi-finals of this season's Champions League after beating Manchester United in the quarter-finals.

They kick off their semi-final tie against Liverpool at the Camp Nou on Wednesday, with the return leg at the Anfield six days later.

If they can get past Jurgen Klopp's Reds and make the final at Madrid's Wanda Metropolitano Stadium on June 1, they will surely be favourites against either Ajax or Tottenham Hotspur:

Messi has netted 10 goals in Europe's elite competition this season, more than any other player.

With Barca having already wrapped up the Spanish league title in 2018-19, their focus can now shift to winning a first Champions League since 2015. 

That should open the door for Boateng to be granted some more appearances in the Spanish top flight, as manager Ernesto Valverde will want to rest the likes of Suarez and Messi.