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Lionel Messi says he was so star struck he couldn't look Thierry Henry in the eye when he first arrived at Barcelona.
Henry left Arsenal in 2007 after winning two Premier League trophies in north London.
He was widely considered to be one of the best players in the world, while the future greatest footballer of all time, Messi, was merely a youngster still learning his trade.
Messi would have met a plethora of superstars from the first day he arrived at the Nou Camp as a 12-year-old, given the quality the club has always boasted.
But it was the sight of Henry that caused his jaw to drop.
"The first day he entered the dressing room, I did not dare to look him in the face," Messi told L'Equipe.
"I knew everything he had done in England. I had an image of him made and suddenly we were on the same team.
"What I feel for Titi may be a form of admiration.
"I loved Henry. The ease of finishing an action, how he takes the road to the goal and ends the play.
"He gives the impression that it is natural. His career, his dribbling, the last gesture. It is fluid, proportionate."
survivalothefittest on April 9th, 2020 at 18:39 UTC »
Just in case anyone is in suspense.
Apparently, Messi gave a full interview with L'Equipe, which is not out yet, but they gave a few preview tidbits to Marca. The quotes in the article linked here were taken from the Marca article and they clearly just took the Google Translate version, which is why the wording seems so awkward.
IGuessIRanOutOfChara on April 9th, 2020 at 18:06 UTC »
In fairness, Henry's reputation preceeded him, he was without a doubt, the best striker in the world at one point and one of the most influential players in the sport.
To hear Henry talk about Messi, you'd think he was speaking about God's boss. Henry seemed to love working wth Messi.
Tax_And_Duty on April 9th, 2020 at 17:03 UTC »
Oh wow, that's amazing. Even by the time Henry had joined Barca it was clear Messi was going to be a generational talent.