In an exclusive interview with UEFA.com, Pedro Rodríguez Ledesma (22), one of the revelations of the Barcelona team this season, confessed that he is not expecting a call-up with the Spanish national team any time soon, even if it was pronounced by the La Roja coach, Vincente del Bosque himself.

“It will not be easy to break into the national team set-up and I know it. It is a very good team with outstanding players, but I think if I can keep on doing well why not, I could be there someday. It would be a dream come true.”

Touching on his meteoric rise with the Catalan outfit, the former canterano player said he is delighted for the confidence shown in his abilities: “I did not expect to have so many minutes because it is very difficult to compete with the excellent players that we have. Just to play a few minutes here and there is a privilege for me, and it is necessary that I take full advantage of them. Everything that had happened recently is too sudden for me, but I’ll treat it as casually as I can. I was fortunate enough to have lived through such a fantastic, unforgettable moments.”

For the Tenerife-born player, playing alongside such great players as Xavi Hernandez and Andres Iniesta is a great honour for him: “Again, it is a privilege that I am able to train and be on the same pitch with them. Barcelona has such an amazing group of players. We are playing very well and are still contesting in all of the competitions, and I think we have to continue doing what we have been doing so far.”

The former La Masia graduate is also proud that Messi, Xavi and Iniesta were chosen for almost all of the major footballing awards this year, and is pleased with Pep Guardiola’s policy of “relying on the academy to supply the first team with players.”

“They have won those awards because of their quality and the effort they have demonstrated on the field. It is true that the team did have a part in them getting the recognition but they have earned them,” he said.

“Now every canteranos have the believe that if they work hard they may one day get the chance to make it into the first team, especially since Guardiola is a coach who knows a lot about La Masia. It just gives them that extra impetus to want to succeed,” the former reserve player acknowledged.

Talking about the team’s magnificent season, Pedro said, “We have played a lot of big games and we won everything in the end, something that no one had ever accomplished before. This year I have lived through a very memorable time of my life that I will never change for anything in this world.”

The player also wanted to convey his gratitude towards his boss: “It was a nice gesture by Guardiola when he let me play in the final minutes of the Champions League Final. I believe he wanted to reward the players for the work that we had done during the season. I won the jackpot that night and I am very grateful to have played those minutes even if I failed to touch the ball.”

“He is a very thorough coach. He communicates a lot and is able to considerably helps you improve tactically. It is something of a trademark for him and it has had an effect on our game, and we need him to continue because everyone is happy with him in charge.”

Finally, asked about the possibility of repeating the feat the team achieved this year, the forward just said, “We are not even thinking about it because there are a lot matches yet to be played and we have to take things one match at a time. We’ll just have to see what we can achieve at the end of the season.”