“SO WHEN IS MY COVER SHOOT?”

A Lionel Messi lookalike in Iran is so convincing, he brought a city to a standstill and nearly got nicked. Luckily, seasoned David Beckham doppelganger Andy Harmer is on hand to give some career advice

We might as well close the betting for 2017 Headline of the Year: ‘Lionel Messi lookalike almost ends up in Iranian jail for being too convincing’ isn’t going to be topped, sorry. The story is ace, too: an ordinary bloke called Reza Parastesh – who just happens to be a human photocopy of the greatest footballer on the planet – caused crowd issues on the streets of Hamadan as folks flocked towards him to get their selfies with ‘Lionel’.

Well, if there is one man who knows all about such mania, it’s Andy Harmer. He has earned a living as a startlingly good David Beckham impersonator (top right) over the past two decades, and is now running an agency for his fellow doppelgangers. “He’s getting exactly the kind of thing I had back in the day,” says Andy. “I’d get mobbed whenever I travelled to America and South Korea – it was just crazy. I even got a record deal in Japan off the back of it.”

And Andy has got some sage advice for the Iranian Lionel. “He’s doing really well because he’s gone viral, and he’s by far the best of the Messis that are out there at the moment. However, if he wants to turn it into a career, he needs to become an entertainer: try to learn how he speaks and moves, and get good at the keepy-uppies. I did a lot of freestyle football tricks and that got me lots more bookings. It’s better than just standing around.

“I’m trying to get Reza to join my agency, actually, as we will be able to open some more doors for him.”

Meanwhile, 38-year-old Andy has recently hung up his Predators. “As David and I have got a bit older, I’ve stopped looking like him,” he admits. “Also, a big part of my work was kids’ parties and the little ones want Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo a lot more now – so I’m concentrating on the agency.

“It’s going really well. We’re always very busy. Our popular lookalikes are The Queen, Ed Sheeran and Gordon Ramsay, plus Star Wars characters.”

Andy also did The Chippendoubles on Britain’s Got Talent and has been commissioned to produce a second series of Channel Four programme The Lookalikes, in which he comes out of retirement to front a shoddy, knock-off David Beckham academy.

“Episode two is football-themed,” says Andy. “All the kids want their money back from me, so we set up a challenge instead, and they play against a team of doubles including Bobby Charlton, George Best, Jamie Vardy and myself – it’s brilliant.”

Reza, you know who to call...