'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Lionel Messi's Barcelona career has been one for the history books, with the Argentine attacker cementing his status as one of the all time greats at the Camp Nou. Having joined the club as a teenager, he rose through the ranks rapidly and became the best player under the tutelage of Frank Rijkaard and later Pep Guardiola.
In his formative days, though, Lionel Messi needed a bit of guidance from the senior players at the club to realize his true potential. At the time, Ronaldinho was the star attraction at Barcelona and dazzled fans across the world with his brilliance on the ball.
The Brazilian great kickstarted Barcelona's dominance in the modern era and also played a pivotal role in Lionel Messi's emergence, as he took him under his wing and taught him the craft.
Lionel Messi nurturing the current generation of La Masia wonderkids
Similarly, in the years that have gone by, Lionel Messi has helped shape the careers of a handful of footballers at the Camp Nou, proving that the apprentice has finally become the master at Barcelona.
On that note, here are five players the current Barcelona skipper took under his wing in the past decade.
#5 Pedri
18-year-old Pedri's performances have been one of the highlights of Barcelona's season, with the energetic midfielder taking the Camp Nou by storm with his talent. Having joined the Catalan giants from Las Palmas for a meager fee, Pedri quickly made a name for himself with the Blaugrana and is a vital cog of Ronald Koeman's side.
A key feature of Pedri's gameplay is his intelligence and spatial awareness, as the teenager continues to strike up a telepathic understanding with Lionel Messi. The Spaniard heaped praise on the Barcelona skipper earlier this season and played down comparisons with Andres Iniesta, with several media outlets across the world drawing parallels between the playing styles of the two players.
"The truth is that something must have stuck. I think I have seen all the videos of (Iniesta) on YouTube. I never missed a game of his, so I guess some of it wears off."
“Maybe that is something I learned from Andrés, but the truth is that these are things that just happen on the field. If suddenly you hear Leo, you know you have give him the ball because he will create danger and end up scoring like always.”
Lionel Messi's Barcelona future might be uncertain, but that hasn't stopped him from nurturing the next generation of talents at the Camp Nou.
#4 Ansu Fati
Another Spanish teenager who has flourished at Barcelona in the past 12 months, Ansu Fati's rise to stardom in the 2019-20 season was rather incredible. The gifted winger broke several long-standing records that belonged to Lionel Messi and quickly became one of the first names on the teamsheet, as he made his debut aged 16 and showed glimpses of his outrageous potential.
Fati is currently sidelined with a long-term injury, but he is a vital cog in Barcelona's future and has been hailed as the heir to Lionel Messi's throne. The Argentine acknowledged Fati's talent and offered a piece of advice to the Catalan giants, as he warned his current club against putting too much pressure on the youngster.
"I really like him and I try to help and support him. He's an amazing player and he's got what it takes to succeed. But if I look at it through my eyes, I'd like them to bring him on gradually, like they did with me when I started, taking things nice and easy and without putting pressure on him."
"You have to remember that he's only 16. I hope he keeps on enjoying it and that all the fuss around him doesn't have a negative impact on him because he has the quality to become one of the best."
Fati admitted several times since his debut that he has learned a lot from Lionel Messi, with the pair combining to devastating effect before his injury earlier this season. The youngster will hope that Messi extends his contract and continues to help him develop as a player, much like Ronaldinho did from him as a teenager.
#3 Bojan Krkic
Bojan Krkic's downfall from the top-level happened almost as quickly as his emergence, with the Spaniard hailed as the next Lionel Messi in the late 2000s. In what was a star-studded Barcelona squad that boasted attacking talent like Thierry Henry, Ronaldinho, Samuel Eto'o and Lionel Messi himself, Bojan burst onto the scene and made quite the impression under Pep Guardiola.
While he fizzled out after his first season at the Camp Nou and subsequently moved to AC Milan, Stoke City, Mainz and a few other clubs, Bojan was one of the hottest talents in world football at the time. Lionel Messi was still a young player then, but the Argentine was amongst the best in the business and took Bojan under his wing at the Camp Nou.
The gifted Spaniard never realized his potential and admitted several years after his Barcelona departure that the comparisons with Lionel Messi proved to be detrimental to his career.
"In the end, I know my qualities and I know I'm not Messi. I'm Bojan. If people want to say 'This guy was not the new Messi', okay, yeah I was not the new Messi."
At the age of 30, Bojan is currently a free agent, having plied his trade for Montreal Impact in the MLS most recently.
#2 Jordi Alba
As far as full-backs go, Lionel Messi's connection with Dani Alves is unlikely to be topped at Barcelona. With Jordi Alba, however, the Argentine great has struck up a partnership on and off the pitch, with the former Valencia man reportedly one of his closest friends at the club.
Alba joined Barcelona from Los Che after Spain's triumph at the European Championships in 2012 and quickly became a key player at the club. Known for his pace and crossing ability, the diminutive Spaniard dominated the left flank for years and is still going strong despite entering his 30s.
Alba and Lionel Messi have developed a telepathic understanding on the pitch, with the pair setting each other up for goals several times over the years. The Spanish defender has been an important player for Barcelona and it could be argued that Lionel Messi played no small part in it, as the Argentine has developed an exciting partnership with him at the club.
#1 Neymar
While Neymar left Barcelona to join Paris Saint-Germain in a world-record deal to seemingly get out of Lionel Messi's shadow, it is well documented that the pair share a fantastic relationship off the field. By Neymar's own admission, Lionel Messi played a massive part in his early days at Barcelona, as the Brazilian described the Barcelona captain as a "special guy."
"I tell it for everybody now, that when I needed help the most, the best in the world [Messi] showed me affection. It's difficult, it's difficult. To be honest, it is very difficult because Leo was a very special guy for me at Barcelona."
Neymar also added that Lionel Messi sent him a message that read "I'm here for you" when he first arrived at the club, as the pair went on to forge a close bond at Barcelona. Together with Luis Suarez, the Barcelona trio broke records aplenty and won the treble in the 2014-15 season, as they combined to devastating effect and blew teams out of the water.
Despite leaving the club in controversial circumstances, Neymar has flirted with the idea of reuniting with Lionel Messi at some point in the future. Additionally, speculation surrounding the Argentine's future is currently dominating the backpages, as he continues to be linked with a sensational move to Paris Saint-Germain.
When quizzed on the matter earlier this season, Neymar remained optimistic about sharing the pitch with Lionel Messi in the future.
"What I want most of all is to play with Messi again, to be able to enjoy him once again on the pitch. He can play in my place, I have no problem with that! But I want to play with him next year, for sure. We have to do it next season."
No one knows what the future holds for Lionel Messi, but Neymar is one of his best pals and the pair could be set for an emotional reunion later this year.
