Lionel Messi news: 'We have the good fortune to train with him every day,' says Barcelona star

What's the story?

Barcelona midfielder Sergio Busquets has heaped praise on club captain Lionel Messi and considers himself and his teammates very fortunate to be training with the Argentine on a daily basis.

In case you didn't know...

Messi boasts of having scored 43 goals in all competitions for the Catalan giants so far this season. The 31-year-old has led Barcelona to the quarter-finals of the UEFA Champions League, the Copa del Rey final, and the summit of La Liga, all while establishing himself as the ultimate favourite for the European Golden Boot.

Barcelona have been drawn to face Premier League giants Manchester United in the quarter-finals of the European competition and will play the first leg later this week.

The heart of the matter

Busquets has stated that he is no longer surprised by Messi's genius, adding that there is no goal the Argentine has scored that he has not seen in training.

The Spanish star was quoted as saying,

"We have the good fortune to train with him every day. 'I've spent the last 11 years with him, so you get that greater concentration of him doing these things."

"We're not quite as surprised by it all. There isn't a goal he's scored on the pitch that we haven't seen in training and he's also repeating goals he has scored in previous seasons. He is unique."

When asked about Messi's decision to tell a packed Camp Nou about the Champions League being the club's top priority at the start of the season, Busquets replied,

"We didn't know he was going to say that. But all clubs want to do well in the Champions League don't they? It's the most prestigious trophy there is and it is even more important for us after having not won it for so many years."

What's next?

Barcelona are currently preparing for the first leg of their quarter-final fixture against Manchester United, which is scheduled to take place on April 10 at Old Trafford.