Ten Things You Should Know About Pedro

by Xaviniesta

1 - Barcelona winger Pedro Rodríguez Ledesma ( also known as "Pedrito") was born on July 28, 1987 in Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Canary Islands. He has an older brother, Kirian Rodríguez, who plays with Bundesliga club FSV Frankfurt.

2 - He played with Club Deportivo San Isidro before joining Barcelona in August 2004 at the age of 17. He quickly developed into a versatile winger - one who is naturally left-footed but can strike the ball equally well with his right. He was a key player for the Barça B team that won promotion under Pep Guardiola, scoring 6 goals in 36 appearances for the team. Watch a video here.

3 - It was Josep Colomer, then director of Fundacion Barcelona, who convinced him to go for trials with Barcelona after watching him play. Pedro would later recall that event: "Those times were very special to me. I had the luck. If not, it would have been very difficult to get out of San Isidro. When he (Colomer) explained the situation to me, I went crazy. I did not think, I agreed to go."

4 - He played his debut game for Barcelona's first team against Real Murcia in 2007. He was training with Barça B (now Barça Atlètic) when then manager Guardiola told him that first team coach Frank Rijkaard needed a substitute for Santi Ezquerro who was ill. Pedro later admitted: "I became very nervous. The first thing I did was call my family. Everyone went a little crazy, especially since I had the chance to debut even if it only for a few minutes."

5 - His brief appearance during the 2009 Champions League final in Rome sparked tumultous celebrations in his hometown. Surprised and elated that Guardiola gave him and not one of his more established players the chance to play, Pedro later said: "It was not something you could imagine, but to have played in the final was, for me, unforgettable. I will never forget the coach's gesture of giving me even a minute to play in the most important match of the season."

6 - Guardiola officially promoted him to the senior team on July 28, 2009 on the occasion of his 22nd Birthday. He scored 3 goals in the team's pre-season matches. Watch the video highlights here here.

7 - Asked which players helped most in his integration to the team, he singled out Puyol, Xavi, Iniesta: "I am deeply grateful because they are the ones that tell you how to behave, how to act, what to do in each moment. Players of La Masia are always pulling the cart, it says much about the philosophy of Barça."

8 - Asked what his normal day would be like, he said: "I get up early, I train at the Ciudad Deportiva, sometimes eat there with the rest of the team, and in the evening I am with my girlfriend who would visit me in Barcelona. The main thing is to always have a quiet life, training and playing matches. My life in Barcelona is football and tranquility prevails over the future."

9 - On how he sees his future as a football player, he said: "My goal is to continue gaining experience, to have more playing time and be there for the team. Let's see what happens. My only promise is to work hard."

10 - His goal against Athletic Bilbao on August 16, 2009 would be his first official goal with the first team. He also assisted Xavi's goal in Barcelona's 2-1 first leg win in the Spanish Super Cup.



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