Bojan Krkic quits FC Barcelona and will play for Stoke City

Barcelona (FCB).- The FC Barcelona forward will join the Premier League's Stoke City side this summer. After spending nearly his entire footballing life at FC Barcelona, Bojan Krkic says goodbye to his club. The Catalan forward, who was always one step ahead of his age in terms of skill and quality, leaves FC Barcelona with the distinction of being the all-time highest scorer in the Barça youth system. His tally from all his years at La Masia exceeds the 400-goal mark. He also performed well when he shared the senior side dressing room with some of the best forwards on the planet. First he vied for a starting spot with Eto’o, and then with Ibrahimovic and Leo Messi. During his four seasons on FC Barcelona's first team (2007-2011), he scored a total of 26 goals. Bojan was then loaned out to AS Roma (which was managed by Luis Enrique), AC Milan, and Ajax.

Bojan made his first team debut under the orders of Frank Rijkaard at the age of 16, against Egypt’s Al-Ahly. He scored the team’s second goal against the Egyptian side. His first goal in an official match was scored on October 21 2007, against Villarreal when he was only 17 years old. He became the youngest player in FC Barcelona history to score in a La Liga match. He nearly achieved the same distinction in the Champions League when he scored against Schalke 04 – he became the second youngest player to score in a UCL match at the time.

Four seasons with FC Barcelona's first team

Bojan was important in Rijkaard’s tactical schemes in the manager’s final year on the FC Barcelona bench (2007/08). Despite his youth, he scored 12 goals from 48 appearances. But his role in the team became more discreet in the following three seasons. He was crucial to the team’s winning Copa del Rey bid in the 2008/09 season (treble year) and in Barça’s La Liga winning run in 2009/10, as he scored important goals against Villarreal and Sevilla.

After his seven-goal haul in the 2010/11 season, Bojan was loaned out to AS Roma (which was managed by Luis Enrique), then AC Milan, and then Ajax. He won the Eredivisie that season with the Dutch team.

Bojan bids farewell to his childhood club with three La Liga titles, two Champions League medals, one Copa del Rey, one European Supercup, two Spanish Supercups and one Clubs World Cup.