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What's the story?
Barcelona boss Ernesto Valverde has hailed his star man Lionel Messi, claiming that the appetite to perform at a high level consistently, as well as 'competitive spirit', are the Argentine's best attributes. Messi is currently leading the goal-scoring charts in LaLiga and is spearheading Blaugrana to potentially a second league title in a row.
In case you didn't know...
With 32 titles at Camp Nou and five Ballon d'Or accolades, Messi is arguably the best player to have ever played the beautiful game. The 31-year-old's performances have consistently been on the rise as he has gone from strength to strength over the years.
He just seems to be getting better with age and rightfully, draw plaudits from the entire world.
The heart of the matter
Messi's manager Ernesto Valverde, much like millions of others, is a huge fan of his wizardry. And in his latest interview with Barca TV, the mastermind revealed which quality of the little magician sets itself apart from the rest.
He remarked:
"What I'd most highlight about Leo Messi is his huge sense of responsibility for the team. It shows in every game in every competition. What he does is not only difficult, but he does it again and again; that takes enormous mental strength."
Valverde continued:
"I have never known anyone with such an amazing competitive spirit."
He also heaped praise on Ousmane Dembele, whose career at Spain hasn't taken off as envisioned.
“We have always said what a talented player he is. We wanted to see that talent on the pitch. And this year we’re getting to see a lot of what he has to offer, but I am still hoping that there’s even more,” he mentioned.
Video: A glimpse of what the magician is capable of
Sit back and feel blessed that we are privileged to be living in the Lionel Messi era.
What's next?
The entire football fraternity can go on for years discussing Messi's attributes, and we might still miss out on a couple of them. Meanwhile, Barcelona travel to Getafe on 7 January as they look to extend their lead at the top of the table.
