What does Leo Messi have in common with Matt Le Tissier?

~ Loyalty means nothing unless it has at its heart the absolute principle of self-sacrifice. Woodrow T. Wilson

As part of my daily routine I was flicking through the online version of the Guardian, when I came across this video, titled: Matt Le Tissier v. Mozart. Intrigued by its unusual title – and being great fan of Le Tissier- I started watching the YouTube clip, which basically showcases former Southampton and England player Matt Le Tissier`s brilliant footballing skills ,accompanied by the wonderfully soothing music of another genius, Mozart. The longer I watched the video, the more it daunted on me how similar Le Tissier`s exceptional technical skills are to what we consider these days utterly magical, produced by the one and only Lionel Messi.

I must admit that it is a very strange comparison if there ever was one, however it is certainly a thought that is worth to be considered. Also worthy to mention the fact, that Spanish maestro Xavi Hernandez has recently admitted that the fiercely talented Le Tissier was one of his childhood inspirations, and Xavi simply described him as “sensational”. Messi only ever gets compared to the likes of Christiano Ronaldo, Kaka, Maradona, Pele, obvious choices really, and it does get a bit boring reading yet another article about is he or isn`t he as good as Pele or Maradona. Is he the best player the world has ever seen? Who knows really? The kid is wonderful and all, but is only 23 years old, and so he has a long way to go.

So what could Leo Messi and Matt Le Tissier possibly have in common? Actually, a lot more than I first have imagined.

No one can underestimate the influence Matt le Tissier had on Southampton Football Club. What Leo Messi represents at today`s Barcelona is exactly -and perhaps even more- what Matt Le Tissier meant for SFC. He`s played for the Saints for 16 years between 1986 and 2002 and scored a staggering 209 goals in all competitions. Le Tissier is without doubt the most talented, loyal and popular player in the club`s history. Messi`s presence is a sure guarantee for achieving great things at Camp Nou or at a World Cup , but Le Tissier did even more than that: despite the fact that he was largely overlooked by various English managers and he never made the big money move to prestigious European clubs, Le Tissier has still managed to become an absolute and undeniable icon of modern day football.

Messi is undeniably one the most talented and hardworking footballers ever walked on this planet, a true magician of his profession. Whether he plays for club or country he always manages to mesmerize millions of screaming football fans worldwide with his amazing technique. Could Le God`s skills possibly match Messi`s greatness? Without doubt Matt Le Tissier was the most skilful English player of his generation. Fact. He could use both of his feet equally to shoot or pass, and had an unbeatable record when it came to penalty kicks. Depending who you believe, he has scored a whopping 47 penalties out of 48 (or according to a different source 49 out of 50). And of course who could forget his amazing left-footed volley from outside the penalty box against Arsenal in May 2001, on the last game ever played in the Dell. However fans of Le Tissier would probably most fondly remember his 40yard screamer against Blackburn, beating ex-Dell favourite Tim Flowers. Despite all this, he was often branded a luxury player, for relying too much on his natural skills, and not covering enough of the pitch.

Messi is a notoriously private and obviously no-fuss player. He always has that cheeky smile on his face and you would hardly ever catch him bullying opposition players or the referee as a matter of fact. In the era of Wayne Rooney, Mario Balotelli and other infamous footballers -who more often than not are better known for their bad behaviour than their footballing skills- it is refreshing to see young Messi fast becoming a proper sport icon, someone who kids can really look up to. Similarly to Messi, Matt Le Tissier was always an honest, approachable, friendly player and well respected by all fans, opponents and anybody who was involved in the game really. The world of football could surely do with more players of his calibre, no doubts.

As previously outlined, this article never had an intention to compare Matt Le Tissier to Leo Messi or vice versa. I just feel that we are living in a crazy –and sometimes hugely annoying- world of media frenzy, where the papers and TV channels often have a tendency to overhype certain players (Gareth Bale, Jack Wilshere, Theo Walcott anyone?) and not to give credit to those who would truly deserve it. Yes, Messi is super talented, but let’s not forget about the good, old-fashioned,but truly amazing footballers who possibly have possessed the exact same skills as Messi, but of course times were different back then......