I gave my maximum whenever got opportunity at Barcelona, says Malcom

Zenit forward Malcom said that he gave his maximum at his previous club Barcelona whenever he was called to play.

"I've always tried my best, because in a club like Barcelona you have to be always ready. And everytime I was called to play I gave my maximum," Goal.com quoted Malcom as saying.

Malcom said that the Russian Premier League club, Zenit, made a great effort for him.

"Football is like this, you have to grab your chances. Zenit made a great effort to hire me and they made a very good proposition. I was very happy at Barcelona and I'm sure I will be happy here at Zenit," he said.

Malcom also hailed his ex-teammate Lionel Messi terming the Argentine an 'exceptional player'.

"Messi is an exceptional player, a great person, great team-mate and a very good person. He respects everyone, we got on very well. He's world class and deserves all his success," Malcom said.