Dani Ceballos has given a press conference at Luis del Sol Training Centre. The young midfielder analysed his performances in the season as well as the team’s results in the last few weeks.

Next matches at home: “These three matches that we play at home are crucial. We are going to give everything we have to win the three points in all of them. Staying in La Liga will be easier if we continue as we have been in recent times, but we have to take a step forward winning the next three matches. It would be great so we can get to the last stage of the season in an easier situation.”

Season performance: “Last week I was unlucky. I had some problems with my knee and I couldn’t make to the starting eleven the other day. It would have been nice to have that continuity after playing the match against Valencia CF. I always try to give my best to help the team. My performances haven’t been as good as expected, so I hope I can improve in this last third of the season.”

Contract renewal: “What happened last summer is well behind now. I had a difficult time at the beginning of the season. Once I could renew my contract, I felt much calmer.”

Do you think you can perform better?: “A player needs to be self-demanding all the time. I’m not happy with my performance level, I want to do better. Let’s hope that me and my teammates do better in order to achieve our goal.”

How do you feel at a physical level?: “I didn’t have time to rest between last season and the current one. As soon as last season ended, I went to the Euros U19 and from then, directly to the preseason gathering with team. I’ve worked as hard as my teammates, but it has not been seen on the pitch. I wish I could have been more consistent.”

Musonda: “He arrived and he fit in the team quite well; he understands Spanish and speaks other languages too. He talks in Dutch with Van Wolfswinkel and Van der Vaart; and in French with Digard, Kadir, and N’Diaye. He started performing since the very first minute, as we could see against Valencia CF. He arrived and brought something we were missing.”

Adán and the national team: “He’s done enough to be called up. He makes two or three amazing saves in every match. Vicente del Bosque is the one who makes the list, he decides which three keepers go. Adán deserves it. I hope he can be in the next list because he is one of the three Spanish keepers that is doing better.”

Messi’s penalti against Celta de Vigo: “He’s a player who is always doing genius stuff. If he did it that way, then it’s well done, as always. A penalty can be shot in many ways. The one from yesterday is just another one, I don’t think it’s a lack of respect.”

Which is your favourite position?: “I’ve always said it, attacking midfielder. It’s difficult because it can disappear depending on the setting chosen by the manager, and then I have to adapt to play in other position.”

Differences between first and second division: “The difference is huge. In second division we were a superior team to all the rest. Now it’s much more difficult. A sson as you dribble a defender, there’s another one coming. However, I learnt a lot last year.”