“Messi has taken football to another level”- Yaya Touré on Messi’s brilliance

What is the story?

Former Barcelona and Manchester City midfielder Yaya Touré is convinced that Lionel Messi has uplifted the standard of football and also hailed the latter as the “perfect teammate.”

In case you didn't know.....

Yaya Touré was a key player in Barcelona’s treble-winning season back in 2008-09 under the management of Pep Guardiola. The Ivorian midfielder won a staggering number of seven trophies in just three years, including the 2008-09 UEFA Champions League.

The naturally gifted box-to-box midfielder became out of favor after the arrival of Sergio Busquets in the defensive midfield role. Eventually, he had to leave Barcelona for the blue half of Manchester in the summer of 2010.

However, Lionel Messi has been at the peak of his prowess throughout the whole season. The Argentine wizard has already scored 43 times in across all competition, including eight goals in the UCL.

The heart of the matter

In a recent interview with BBC Sport, the former Manchester City midfielder said,

"Messi has taken football to another level. He is always ahead of his opponents and his teammates.”

He has also elaborated on the quality that Lionel Messi brings after every time he embraces the field.

"Messi is such a strange character. He is different and special," he added.

"You give him a pass with two or three players around him and it is so difficult to get the ball from him.

"To train with him, he adapts to you and you have to adapt to him. When you play with him, he will win trophies. He always wants to play in all the games."

What's next?

Lionel Messi will be hungrier than ever to break his own UCL quarter-final goal drought as Barcelona lock horns against the Red Devils on Wednesday night at the Old Trafford.