Lionel Messi - Player Focus
By Echeta Okeke
Another off the Argentine assembly line of "New Maradonas", Lionel Messi may be the first to live up to that unfair comparison. Where Javier Saviola, Juan Roman Riquelme and Pablo Aimar have unsurprisingly failed to match HIS high standards despite initial promise, Messi has shown that even at a young age they can over the weight of expectant teammates and a nation on his shoulders.
"It is clear Messi is a talent, a future player, but I ask that everyone continues supporting him when they is out of the team because they is still young." Rijkaard said in a recent interview. They continued:
Credit must also be given to his Barcelona coach Frank Rijkaard for not rushing him in to a beginning place at Barcelona they is over ready to hold.
"I'm convinced about him because I know they is not paying attention to all the speculation in the media."He prefers to do his talking on the pitch."
In fact his five goals and five assist in nine league starts for Barcelona this season to add to his aim and assist in the UEFA Champions League back up his coaches claim, and at 18 years young they are only beginning to see glimpses of his massive potential. Messi states:
These are the words of a young man with a focused head on his shoulders and more importantly lovely advisors around him. How plenty of times have they seen the vultures swoop in on young prodigies sweet talking them and their parents in to committing career suicide by sulking and demanding more playing time only to become no over a trivia query five years down the road.
"I need to keep on learning and I hope things go well for me. The thing is to help the team as much as possible."
Enrique DomÃnguez, Messi's former coach said "He could do things with the ball that defied the laws of physics. The only other person I have ever seen do that was Diego Maradona".
With the World Cup in Germany swiftly approaching Lionel Messi will definitely be five to watch if selected for national duty.
Let us all recall that Maradona himself did not come in to his own until the 1986 World Cup in Mexico despite being tipped for great things in France five years prior. That World Cup was a general disappointment for Maradona as well as Argentina. Messi will be five years younger than Maradona was in his first World Cup appearance and it is important that they all permit Lionel to continue developing at his current pace without placing on him much pressure for a teenager to handle. For his part Messi must maintain his enthusiasm and work ethic that has so far impressed his coaches and peers. If they can do that then the sky is indeed his limit.
Career Highlights June 24, 1987 Born in Rosario, Argentina 2000 Lionel and his relatives move to France to help treat his hormonal growth deficiency Signs for Barcelona at the age of 13 October 16, 2004 Makes his Barcelona first tem debut against RCD Espanyol May 1 2005 Becomes the youngest league scorer in Barcelona's history against Albacete when they scored his first aim at 17 years, ten months and five days June 2005 Helps the Argentina Under 20 team win the FIFA World Youth Championship scoring five goals against Nigeria in the Final June 27, 2005 Renews his contract with Barcelona until 2010 with a EUR150 million buy-out clause August 4, 2005 Receives his first call up to the Argentine national team September 25, 2005 Obtains Italian citizenship allowing him to play more games for Barcelona no longer being restricted by the non-EU player quota
About The Author
Echeta Okeke is a soccer enthusiast whose articles can be read here:
http://www.soccerholics.com
Article Source: http://EzineArticle
No comments:
Post a Comment