Lionel Messi had no hesitation in identifying the ‘exceptional’ English player he believed could have thrived alongside him at Barcelona.
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During his illustrious career at Barca, Messi won four Champions League titles, sharing the field with some of football’s finest talents, including Andres Iniesta, Xavi, Neymar, and Luis Suarez. ..Continue Reading
Two of those Champions League victories came at the expense of Manchester United, who were outplayed by Messi and Pep Guardiola’s Barcelona in the 2008/09 and 2010/11 campaigns.
In the 2009 final in Rome, Barca defeated United 2-0, while the 2011 clash at Wembley saw Pedro score first, Wayne Rooney equalize, and Messi restore the lead before David Villa sealed a 3-1 victory.
Rooney’s performance in that match left a lasting impression on Messi, who described him as an ‘exceptional’ player capable of succeeding in La Liga.
Messi also defended English footballers when asked why the country struggles to produce world-class players.
“I am not sure that it is true,” he said, back in 2015. “If you look at the technical ability of a player like Wayne Rooney, he is as good as any player in Europe.”
At the time, asked which English players would thrive in Spain’s top flight, the Argentine superstar said: “As I mentioned, Rooney has exceptional quality. Not just great technical ability, but also works very hard for his team. I’m sure Manchester United will never want to let him leave, though.”
The feeling is mutual as Rooney returned the compliment as he called Messi the GOAT ahead of Cristiano Ronaldo.
“I think Messi, he’s the best ever. I get a lot of stick for saying Messi where it’s as if, ‘How can you say Messi, it’s Ronaldo’,” he said on The Overlap – brought to you by Sky Bet.
“I understand that people can say Messi, people can say Ronaldo – they are both incredible, probably the best two players to ever play the game.
“For me, Messi has just got that little bit more flair, which I like in a player, so that’s the reason.”
