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What's the story?
Ajax midfielder Frenkie de Jong, who will join Barcelona this summer after signing a five-year contract for €75m, has revealed that he's already in awe of his future club's captain Lionel Messi, who he believes is the best player in the world.
He told UEFA.com that the reason why he admires the Argentinean superstar was because he used to play in the No. 10 role as a youngster, a role in which no one in the world can currently challenge Messi's dominance.
In case you didn't know...
De Jong is part of the new generation of young talents that eliminated the incumbent title holders Real Madrid from the UEFA Champions League in the round of 16.
It was reported that Messi had personally called the youngster, which played a huge role in him ultimately deciding to join the Spanish giants over other interested parties like PSG.
The heart of the matter
De Jong, who plays primarily as a central midfielder, has put in brilliant performances in the Dutch top-flight, earning him comparisons with one of the greatest Dutch players of all-time Johan Cruyff, a legend the young prodigy revers a lot.
Ahead of Ajax's clash with Juventus this week, the player talked about his club's chances of going all the way in the competition. He told UEFA.com:
"[After defeating Real Madrid] hopefully against Juventus we can show everyone that we are just as good as them or even better."
He also opened up about who he thinks is the best player in the world.
"I always thought [Lionel] Messi was the best player."
Following this huge declaration, de Jong revealed the secret reason why the five-time Ballon d'Or winner is a player he'd admired since childhood. He had started his career playing as a No.10 and that's why he has huge respect for Messi. He continued:
"As a young player I was more of a No.10 who played right behind the strikers. A bit lazy, with lots of possession."
What's next?
Ajax host Juventus at the Johan Cruijff Arena, while Barcelona visit Old Trafford to take on Manchester United in their respective Champions League QF fixtures, which kick off at the same time tomorrow.
