Barcelona tried to sign me from small Scottish club when I was just 16 – but dream move fell through for strange reason

BARCELONA have a net they can cast as wide as they would like to unearth the latest footballing talents.

We all know how they scoured Argentina for Lionel Messi but they also very nearly signed another young talent from ALMONDVALE.

Getty Images - Getty

Barcelona’s famous Nou Camp stadium[/caption]

Simon Jones - The Sun

La Masia, where Barca’s youth products are forged[/caption]

The Sun

20.01.2021 Livingston v Celtic, SPFL Premiership …………………. gv tony macaroni arean[/caption]

That’s right, one lucky young footballer who was on the books at Livingston was spotted by the Spanish giants and but for the move falling through later on, he could’ve been sharing a dressing room with Messi himself.

Robert Snodgrass came through the youth ranks at Livi and as a teenager he was viewed as one of the brightest talents in Scotland.

He has since gone on to forge an excellent career for himself, playing winning promotion to the Premier League and playing for big clubs such as Aston Villa, Leeds United, Norwich City and West Bromwich Albion.

The midfielder last played for Hearts and also won 28 caps for Scotland but things could have been mightily different had it not been for one major change at Barcelona that contributed ot his dream move collapsing.

Snodgrass played at youth international level for Scotland at under-19, under-20 and under-21 level, representing his country at the 2006 Under-19 European Championships and the 2007 Under-20 World Cup.

Les Gallagher - The Sun Glasgow

Snodgrass in action for Livingston[/caption]

Kenny Ramsay - The Sun Glasgow

He caught the eye with Scotland at youth international level[/caption]

Scotland faced Spain as they went all the way to the final of the 2006 tournament held in Poland and despite not winning a game at the Under-20 World Cup in Canada in year later, Snodgrass was attracting serious interest.

The 36-year-old has lifted the lid on the time Barca came calling in an interview with talkSPORT.

Speaking on the radio station’s Breakfast show, Snodgrass revealed he had been playing in a tournament that featured Spanish side Real Valladolid.

He shone highly enough that scouts from La Masia wanted to take things further with a view to turning him the next Nou Camp star.

But it wasn’t to be.

He said: “There was a change of ownership and it fell through.

“It was strange. Obviously I told my family, but you tell a typical East End family not to say anything and then everybody in Glasgow knows!

“I was only 16 or 17 at the time but it didn’t materialise for a strange reason.”

Andrew Barr

Snodgrass is still without a club after leaving Hearts[/caption]

Keep up to date with ALL the latest news and transfers at the Scottish Sun football page