Regrettable: Bojan Krkic senior slams Barcelona treatment

Bojan, tipped as the next Lionel Messi during his time at Camp Nou, left the Spanish giants in the summer following loan spells at Roma and Ajax.

He has settled in well at Stoke since his move to the Premier League club in the off-season, much to the delight of Bojan Krkic senior.

Recalling Bojan's time at Barca, he told the Mail on Sunday: "They were international stars. They saw a little boy starting games.

"Sometimes, Ronaldinho was on the bench and Bojan starts. You can imagine, eh? Not easy. It became very difficult. He wasn't welcomed in by everyone.

"[Pep] Guardiola didn't give him continuity. In the Copa del Rey, Bojan was the top goalscorer for Pep.

"In La Liga, he could score one or two goals, but then not play again for weeks. It is very curious.

"In the title run-in in 2010, he kept [Zlatan] Ibrahimovic on the bench. Bojan played, scoring at Sevilla and Tenerife, and they were decisive goals. Then, when the season ended, they signed David Villa."

Such frustrations are a far cry from Bojan's current situation, as the 24-year-old has produced an impressive displays for Mark Hughes' men.

Bojan Sr. added: "At Stoke, he is playing like an animal. He saves his best for the big games.

"He loves Mark Hughes and his training sessions are creative. He is playing behind the forward and he has the freedom to express himself but he is fighting for the team, too.

"He chases everything, he works for the team. Against Arsenal, he ran and ran.

"My boy has suffered a lot in football. Too much. But it is a very long time since I have seen Bojan this happy. He is truly content at Stoke and, as a father, that's a warm feeling."