Wonder-Kid Pastore: Messi is the best

The Argentine strike-duo

Javier Pastore, the 21 year old Argentine and Palermo striker, who has created waves ever since his arrival on the big stage considers his compatriot Lionel Messi as the best attacker in the world. Pastore, nicknamed ‘El Flaco’ said in an interview with FIFA, “Leo is the best player in the world and the best person too. When you play with him it’s like having five team-mates alongside you. He’s a different kind of player, he’ll pull off a move or play you the ball when your opponent least expects it. We’re similar off the field in a way that we’re both shy, but we change once we’re out on the pitch.”

Pretty in Pink

Now, a player with a price tag of 60m attached to his name, Pastore had a humble beginning to his playing career. After starting with Argentine II division team Talleres, Pastore was loaned to Argentine Primera club Huracan for the 2008-09 season where he established himself as a regular first team player. He ended up as the team’s top scorer for the season.

Palermo scouts were quick to recognize his steep rise in the world of football and before the 2009 season began, Palermo’s director, Walter Sabatini himself visited the player to urge him to join the Serie A club. Recalling the meeting, Pastore says “I was living in the offices of my agent Marcelo [Simonian]. The doorbell rang, I opened the door and it was Palermo director Walter Sabatini. The three of us sat down, he showed me videos and told me about the club’s plans. We spoke about the city of Palermo, the island of Sicily and by the time he left I was really excited. Marcelo told me: ‘We’re going to drive a hard bargain, but that’s where we’re going!’

On his life in Italy, the outrageously gifted playmaker said, “The language barrier is a real issue, but you do learn. You pick up the customs too. I love Argentina, but I really like Italy. I have grown up watching the Italian league. In my opinion it’s the most demanding championship in the world, you get very little space to play in.”

After a successful spell at the club level, the much revered international call came; and that too for the World Cup. “He [Maradona] phoned me himself to tell me. It was simply amazing.”

On being tagged as a football rebel, the player says, “That’s the way I play, to enjoy myself, just like (Pastore’s boss at former club Huracan) Angel Cappa used to tell me to. And I think that if I keep enjoying what I do, I’ll continue to improve. That’s my aim. I treat football like a job but also like a game. Suffering through it wouldn’t make sense.”

The player has a simple style of playing and accepts that he is quite capable of adapting to both, the Italian and the Argentine style of

An international at 21? Impressive…!

play. “When you have fun out on the pitch you enjoy your football, and that sense of fun is picked up by the fans in the stands. It’s about trying to enjoy yourself, wherever you’re playing. I enjoy playing in both countries. I feel at ease and that’s very important.”

The player who has played under both, ex-coach Maradona and the current coach Sergio Batista, says it’s difficult to compare the two legends. “They have different styles, but they both are very good coaches. We have enjoyed success under Batista. After back to back wins against Spain and Brazil, we now need to reproduce those results at the Copa America on home soil.”

The 2010 Serie A Young Player of the Year considers Kaka as his idol. “My idol is Kaka. I’ve always tried to emulate him, to do the same things he does, but I can’t say that I’m like him. He’s an exceptional and very complete player. When I was a boy I used to follow [Enzo] El Príncipe Francescoli and in Argentinian football I really like Juan Roman Riquelme. I first met him in person when I was 15 and went for trials with Villarreal. I trained near him and even got my photo taken with him. I still treasure it!”

The player describes himself as “an attacker who loves getting into goal scoring positions, and who always wants to try something. I also help recover possession, get involved in our pressing game and assist our defenders too.”

Pastore has been recently linked with cash rich Manchester City, who are willing to meet Palermo’s price tag. But the No.27 says “I’m not in any hurry, things are going well for me and I’m learning loads. I think I’m on the right track, though I want to keep improving. I’m 21 years old and I’m just trying to take things one step at a time here at Palermo.”

One thing is for certain, if Pastore continues to play like he has been playing for the past year, it will not be long before his name starts getting thrown into the mix when conversations of the world’s best players come up.