Barcelona midfielder Frenkie de Jong admits he couldn't believe Lionel Messi left the club last August.

De Jong, like many around the club, was shocked to hear about Messi's departure from Barcelona last summer.

"At first I didn't think it was true," De Jong explained. "I was at the airport picking up my brother and father and got a message to say Messi was leaving.

"It seemed incredible to me, despite the rumours that there had been. It was a shock and no praise for him is exaggerated.

"He's the best player of all time in my opinion. Both in training and in games. He was the face of the club, so hi leaving was a hard blow for us all. We still miss him."