Alejandro Balde has paid tribute to departing Barcelona teammate Jordi Alba.

Alba will leave Barca at the end of the season after losing his status as Barca's first-choice left-back to Balde.

He told Mundo Deportivo: "Jordi has always been very good to me, he has been essential for my progression. He has helped me in all the training sessions, he has told me how I have to defend, how to attack.

"He has also helped me a lot in the National Team, I arrived again and he told me how Luis Enrique placed the full-backs.

"He told me to be calm. He has always been very close, I will always be grateful to him.