Iconic African striker Samuel Eto'o has revealed to Soccer Laduma what he told a young Lionel Messi after the Argentine broke into Barcelona's first team to join forces with him and Ronaldinho.

Eto'o Names 'Best Team In The World'

Years before Messi formed part of the dangerous trio dubbed "MSN", in which Luis Suarez and Neymar featured, he was one-third of another incredible attacking three along with Eto'o and Ronaldinho, who, at the time, was arguably the best player in the world.

Speaking to Soccer Laduma in a recent interview, Eto'o shared with us that he made a point of sitting down with Messi over lunch to tell him about the importance of having a balanced life outside of football.

To see the full interview with Eto'o, grab the latest edition of the Soccer Laduma!

"When I saw him the first time, I told him that he only needed to do one thing – have a good life outside of the pitch," the Cameroon legend said.

"'If you have a good life outside the pitch, after 20 years, I am going to speak with you… it all depends on you.'

"I am very happy because he listened to me because Messi is a very professional player.

"I talked to him like a big brother, I told him that if you want to be a big player, you have to be serious."

Eto'o and Messi spent five years playing together for Barca, winning a total of six trophies, including two UEFA Champions League titles.

Click through the gallery below to see where Eto'o reportedly ranks among the richest African footballers of all time: