How gang fights in Barcelona almost stopped my football dreams - Adama Traore

Wolves player, Adama Traore has opened up on how life would have been different for him had it been he opted to become a member of one of the gangs in Barcelona.

Traore who moved from Mali to Spain with his father while he was young revealed that being part of a gang in the outskirt of Barcelona called L'Hospilatet was considered a form of popularity.

Going through the academy of Barcelona FC, Traore revealed gang fights were an everyday occurrence.

He told AS: "Yes, a lot of times. Me, my brother, a Dominican friend, everyone. At that time, being part of a gang was something that made you popular.

"But we had a different mentality. We wanted to be footballers, not part of some gang. You saw fights almost every day and we didn't want to fight.

"Of course, I was in fights [anyway]. There were gangs in the school I went to. They fought each other constantly. I saw guns, fights with bats, knives, bottles... everything.

"They've done a great job in Hospitalet now though and everything is a lot calmer."