LIONEL MESSI’S former Barcelona team-mate Jordi Masip has revealed the Argentinian ace is a “competitive beast” and a “joker” in the dressing room.
The five-time Ballon d’Or winner – who today picked up his sixth European Golden Boot – is known for his shy persona, with the 32-year-old rarely giving interviews.
But Masip has claimed he is a far cry of how he is perceived, with the Barca star the joker of the pack behind closed doors.
The 30-year-old came through the famed La Masia academy – featuring in four senior games for the Catalan side between 2014-2017 – before he joined Real Valladolid on a free transfer.
He has since become an integral part of the side, with the Spanish youth international featuring in all eight La Liga games this season.
And he has been full of praise for Messi ahead of his side’s clash against Athletic Bilbao this weekend.
Speaking to Mundo Deportivo, he said: “I can’t say anything about Messi that hasn’t already been said. He is a competitive beast.
“The best I’ve seen in my entire life and, in addition, I have had the pleasure of playing with him, of sharing work sessions, of suffering him in training and of enjoying him.”
Asked about what Messi is like as a person, Masip said: “He behaved very well with everyone who came up from the academy.
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“He doesn’t seem like it, but he’s a joker, making people laugh in the locker room.
“Maybe he is not a person who is talking all day, he is not like Pique.
“I am very happy with how he treated me and how everyone treated me in the locker room.”