Yesterday marked 14 years since Lionel Messi arrived at Barcelona, following his move from Newell's Old Boys as a 13-year-old. Of course, back then Messi was brought to the club as a piece of risky business, but he turned out a risk worth taking.
He suffered from a growth hormone deficiency, and whether he would develop into a good player was cast into doubt. Nonetheless, our scouts recognized his potential and the club offered to pay for the Argentine's treatment. And the rest is history…
Our gamble paid off and Messi has turned into the kind of footballer that we could only have dreamed of back then. Since his promotion to the first team in 2004, Messi has won a record four Ballon D'Ors, six La Liga titles, two Copa Del Reys, six Spanish Super Cups and three UEFA Champions Leagues, to name but a few of his achievements…
Comparisons to Diego Maradona were always inevitable and Messi has justified them by proving that he is worthy of being mentioned in the same breath as the all-time great. By the time he hangs up his boots, I have no doubt that Messi will be considered amongst the best to have ever played the game. His first-team record currently stands at 356 goals in 428 official games for the club.
And I truly hope that Messi will be able to go all the way and retire at the club after his unparalleled 14 years here. He has broken record after record, with several more still in his sights and it has been a privilege to see him don the great Blaugrana jersey.
On behalf of all Cules, I salute you Lionel Messi! Here's to many more years at the top.
Do you think Lionel Messi is the best player of all time?
