Chelsea forward Pedro has recalled his move from the Canary Islands to Barcelona as a youngster, saying it was a “very difficult” move for him at the time.

The Spaniard grew up in the small village in Tenerife, and spent his youth playing for local side CD San Isidro.

However he was plucked from his home town at the age of just 17 by Barcelona, and quickly progressed his way into the first team, making his debut for the Catalans at just aged just 20.

Pedro went on to play 321 times for Barca, scoring 99 goals and winning five La Liga titles and three Champions League – establishing himself as a key figure in the club’s most successful ever period throughout it’s history.

However, ‘Pedrito’, as he was known affectionately during his time with the Spanish giants, says life wasn’t always so easy at the Camp Nou.

“I was 17 when I moved from the Canary Islands to Barcelona,” recalled the Spaniard, “It was a very hard move for me. Change is always difficult! I had lived in a small village in Tenerife, and then I moved to Barcelona, a very big city.

“I went alone there and had new team-mates. Sometimes there were difficult moments, but it worked out okay!”

He continued: “When you arrive at a big team like Barcelona, you always have more pressure when you play. This is difficult for young players, for everybody, but especially young players.

“If you are 16 or 17 years old, like some players here, playing at the top level is very difficult. That’s normal. I found it when I started playing for Barcelona. I was very young and when I went on the pitch for the first time and saw the Camp Nou, I looked up into the stands and there were 100,000 people looking at me!

“That was hard for the mind. But when you are ready and you have enjoyed the sport all your life, it makes it much easier.”

Pedro joined Chelsea from Barcelona in 2015, and has since made 134 appearances for the Blues, scoring 30 goals.