Marc Cucurella has often had to deal with rejection in his career, but he just doesn't give up.
When he signed Espanyol, nobody would talk to him for weeks in Barcelona because he celebrated wildly after he beat them in the final of Copa del Rey.
He had come to train, but would never talk to anyone and usually only in the dressing room.
In an exclusive interview, his old teammate in Barcelona, Carles Alena, told Sunsport: “He took out his shirt, became wild and the crazy thing is, a month later he had signed for Barcelona, so you can imagine how we felt.
“When he came to Barca for the preseason, I remember that I couldn't even look at him. Nor could many of my teammates and he didn't want to look at us either.
“He was embarrassed and I remember the first few days, he would be in the dressing room without even making eye contact, such as” Damn, what have I done? “
But football has a unique way to get to people and it was not long before his new teammates started to understand that it was all done in the spirit of competitiveness.
His second immediate challenge was to break into the first team, every player who comes through their La Masia Academy who dreams of playing for Barcelona.
If they don't do that, it can crush them – but the story of Cucurella is proof that you sometimes have to lose, you have to lose first.
The debut of the first League team never came. So in the summer of 2018 with the transfer window that was about to close, he received a phone call from Eibar sports director Fran Garagarza.
He said: “Hey, I know you want to play in Barcelona, but maybe you can play at Eibar first, then you can show them what you were made of.”
Most young players in La Masia would hesitate, but Cucurella was hungry to play, so he didn't live there for long.
He had come from Espanyol and after a difficult start everyone won, but he felt it was time to go big.
Alena, who had become his best friend in the team, revealed: 'He didn't want to play again in Segunda B.
“Then the chance came up with Eibar, and I think he made the right choice because he had a coach there, Mendilibar, who really trusted him.
“He became even more a football player there than he already was.”
The meeting to leave Barcelona only lasted two hours, it was. From that moment his life and mentality changed.
He went from waiting for opportunities to create them himself. Sometimes that is all you need.
He was one of the popular faces in La Masia, but others were seen as more talented or higher in the pecking order – but he was still more aggressive, driven.
Barcelona agreed with a loan with Eibar, with an option of £ 2 million to buy and a back-back clause of £ 4 million. Everyone was satisfied.
Eibar coach Jose Luis Mendilibar, who gave him his debut, said Marca: “He is a child who is neither fast nor strong.
“In all the measurements we do with the many machines we have, he does not fit in one of them.
“You would never sign him on that, but he is a football player, very smart. He chooses well. That is Marc Cucurella.”
In the entire Spanish football pyramid, Eibar is one of the most difficult places to play.
They are a small team from a small village in the Basque region, known for playing physical, direct football, more as English teams than the typical Spanish style.
For someone from La Masia that should have been a challenge, but Cucurella excelled.
They say that you never know how strong you are until you are strong is the only option – so the new challenge has tested it and he passed with flag and pennant.
Eibar exercised the purchase option and Barcelona bought him back for £ 4 million, making Eibar a win of £ 2 million in just one season.
Getafe days
Cucurella turned twice as long, more confidently to Barcelona and has proven itself by helping a small club beat their weight.
One team stood out among the interested clubs, Getafe.
Ramon aircraft, now sports director at Al-Eittihad in Saudi Arabia, knew the Spanish system well and had closely monitored Cucurella.
He convinced Barcelona to do a similar deal as with Eibar, but this time for £ 10 million that may rise to £ 18.5 million.
Cucurella spent two seasons at Getafe, played their memorable Europa League campaign and helped the team to cement their Liga status.
Amankwaa Akurugu, the backup left back to Cucurella at Getafe, Sunsport says exclusively: “I was young and he came in with so much experience and energy.
“He was exemplary in the dressing room, but it was on the field where his energy really showed, his urgent was ruthless and his defensive work was solid.
“He never worn as if he came from Barcelona and respected respect. He was humble, crack with us and made everything easy.
“He could easily have worn as the boss after everything he had done the previous season and was still in the books of Barcelona, but nothing of that shows how grounded he is.”
Brighton
The stock of Cucurella continued to rise, West Ham showed strong interest, but David Moyes did not think he would fit well with their style.
That turned out to be the loss of the irons and the win of Brighton.
From the first day in East Sussex he was a hit. You can spend years sharpening your skills and then when success comes, it often happens quickly and it feels inevitably.
Cucurella was delighted to be in the Premier League. Brighton was different from Espanyol, Barcelona, Eibar or Getafe, but it fitted well. He loved how Graham Potter saw the game.
Towards the end of his first season, he was named both the player of the season and player player of the season.
Brighton is known for the recruitment of Elite, but few players have supplied value on and next to the field as the curly Spaniard.
Chelsea defeated Manchester City to his signature
Cucurella's Breakout Premier League season caught the attention of Pep Guardiola, who reportedly reached a verbal agreement with the player.
But when Brighton heard that Chelsea was also in the race, they raised the price and Manchester City couldn't match it.
Chelsea paid no less than £ 60 million for him, but just like in Barcelona, his start for life in West London was heavy.
Yet the lessons and experience of a difficult start meant that he was holding on instead of jumping on the first opportunity to move.
Manchester United lost two of their left side and searched for Stop Gap options.
And Cucurella, wrestling in Chelsea, could have been the opportunity, but he stuck and fought back from the excess to requirement not to stop this season.
Everything to him has been exemplary at Chelsea, he has added to his game, scores goals and defends aggressively.
If he doesn't play now, there is a feeling that something is missing.
And he may just add a conference competition title to his CV this week.