Football
'Never knew he would be world's best', says Lionel Messi's former captain, now at FC Goa
FC Goa's 35-year-old defender Marc Valiente captained Lionel Messi during their time in FC Barcelona's academy.
Lionel Messi during his time at FC Barcelona's academy (File Photo/Getty)
Lionel Messi was seen charging his teammates up during the 2-0 win over Mexico in the FIFA World Cup group match on Saturday as Argentina kept their campaign alive. Two decades ago, when the now-captain of his country came to FC Barcelona as a 13-year-old, he was captained by someone who is currently in India.
FC Goa's 35-year-old defender Marc Valiente, who is finding his feet comfortably in India, said that the playing style and environment here is similar to what he has been trained for right from his time at Barcelona's academy as a teenager.
The Spanish defender was in Barcelona's youth setup, where he captained a breakthrough talent and now a modern day great - Lionel Messi.
"When he came to our team, I think he was 13-14. It was not easy for him because he came all the way from Argentina," said Valiente.
"He couldn't play the first season. It was not easy for him to get used to our play, but after that, he was not shy anymore, and you could see from the first minute that he was so different," Valiente said.
Over the years, many experts have spoken about a youngster's first touch being a good indicator of the quality they possess. For nearly two decades now, Messi has become a symbol of that idea. But before he went on to become one of the game's all-time greats aided by his immaculate touch, Valiente and the others in the academy had been witnesses.
"What I remember from that time was we used to play two touches – it was our style of game. We played one side to another as fast as we could, using one or two touches," said Valiente.
"He touched the ball maybe six or eight times [in the same time] that we did two touches. It was something different that we never experienced. You could see that he was someone different. We never knew that he would become the best player ever but Leo, as a 14-year-old, was like that."
Messi made his debut for Barcelona four years after he arrived in Spain at the age of 17 and the rest is history. As he tries to win his first FIFA World Cup title in his fifth attempt, his former captain Marc Valiente, currently playing in the ISL, will be egging him on.
