Arteta knows me well — Ex-Super Eagles star explains why he failed succeed at Barcelona

Former Nigeria international Haruna Babangida recently reflected on his bittersweet tenure at FC Barcelona, detailing his initial rise through La Masia and his failure to break into the senior squad. 

Signed after a trial in 1997, the prodigiously talented winger rapidly ascended the club's youth ranks, setting a long-standing record as the youngest player to debut for Barcelona B in the Segunda División at just 16 years, one month, and 21 days old. 

Despite racking up an impressive 42 goals in 110 appearances for the reserve team and frequently training with the senior squad, Babangida never made a single competitive first-team appearance. 

Reflecting on his time in the academy, Haruna explained how La Masia was a melting pot of talented footballers, many of whom failed to reach expected heights. He also discussed his own failure to break into the first team.

"There were many big names at La Masia. We were all young, talented players who lived there and chased our dream of succeeding in football,” he told Gazetta.

“Many of them managed to star in football and become big names, but there were also others who didn't make it, even though they were very good.

“I played in all the youth teams, and I did very well, and in the first team, when I was given opportunities, I had already scored. I think it was just that I was never given the real opportunity in the first team to establish myself and show what I was worth."

Despite his unfulfilled potential at Camp Nou, Babangida left an indelible mark on his peers, most notably Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta, who famously declared that the Nigerian was "the best 15-year-old" he had ever encountered during their shared time in the academy.

"Yes, Arteta knows me very well. We started together from the small team and reached the second team of Barcelona before he left, so we had a great relationship between us,” he said when asked about Arteta’s comment.

Leaving Catalonia permanently in 2004, the younger brother of fellow professional footballers Tijjani Babangida and the late Ibrahim Babangida embarked on a highly nomadic European career.

His post-Barcelona journey saw him feature for Metalurh Donetsk, Apollon Limassol, Kuban Krasnodar, Mainz 05, Vitesse Arnhem, Kapfenberger SV, and Mosta, though his most successful stint came in Greece with Olympiacos, where he won the 2005/06 and 2006/07 Greek Super League titles, alongside the 2005/06 Greek Football Cup. 

On the international stage, Haruna's senior career was similarly brief; he earned just a single cap for the Super Eagles, making his lone appearance in a 3-0 friendly defeat against Japan in Tokyo on August 20, 2003.