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19/02/2016, 18h04
The former Liverpool man admits he is still in awe of what his Barcelona team-mates can do on the pitch years after moving to the club
Barcelona defender Javier Mascherano has revealed that Lionel Messi and Andres Iniesta never stop surprising him with their brilliance on the pitch.
Mascherano joined Barca from Liverpool in 2010 and has won three La Liga titles and two Champions Leagues alongside Messi and Iniesta.
And the Argentina international has conceded he remains in awe of his team-mates and their sublime performances.
"Football is not as easy as it looks from television gantry, but for Messi it is," Mascherano told the Independent.
"He is someone you never stop being surprised by.
"Iniesta is the same. There is always a piece of skill during a match or a training session where the normal thing would be that it doesn't work out, but with them it does.
"I have seen Iniesta dribble on the edge of our area so many times and you say to yourself: 'How has he done that?' If he loses the ball then they score. But he doesn't lose it."
Mascherano believes the presence of homegrown players such as Messi and Iniesta - along with the likes of Sergio Busquets, Gerard Pique and Jordi Alba - has been key to Barcelona's success in recent years.
Barcelona defender Javier Mascherano has revealed that Lionel Messi and Andres Iniesta never stop surprising him with their brilliance on the pitch.
Mascherano joined Barca from Liverpool in 2010 and has won three La Liga titles and two Champions Leagues alongside Messi and Iniesta.
And the Argentina international has conceded he remains in awe of his team-mates and their sublime performances.
"Football is not as easy as it looks from television gantry, but for Messi it is," Mascherano told the Independent.
"He is someone you never stop being surprised by.
"Iniesta is the same. There is always a piece of skill during a match or a training session where the normal thing would be that it doesn't work out, but with them it does.
"I have seen Iniesta dribble on the edge of our area so many times and you say to yourself: 'How has he done that?' If he loses the ball then they score. But he doesn't lose it."
Mascherano believes the presence of homegrown players such as Messi and Iniesta - along with the likes of Sergio Busquets, Gerard Pique and Jordi Alba - has been key to Barcelona's success in recent years.