LEO’S LADS
Messi hails English prodigies
LIONEL MESSI has named Liverpool defender Trent Alexander-Arnold among four English stars he expects to make their mark on the world stage.
He was joined by Manchester City’s Phil Foden, 19, Borussia Dortmund’s Jadon Sancho, 20, and Chelsea’s Mason Mount, 21, in a list of 15 up-and-coming players to watch.
Messi, who burst onto the scene as a teenager at Barcelona, gave his take on the top young prospects looking to follow in his footsteps by naming “youth on the rise” players.
It included four Premier League starlets, with Chelsea’s 21-yearold winger Christian Pulisic also making Messi’s list.
Asked to come up with the prodigies he believes are the next generation of global icons, the Barcelona great, below, named 15 starlets for a Topps’ ‘Lionel Messi-designed’ card set.
Alexander-Arnold, 21, was hailed for being “impressive going forward” – as Messi found to his cost in Liverpool’s amazing Champions League comeback against Barcelona last season.
Foden was called a “huge talent” and tipped to do “amazing things in the game”.
In-demand winger Sancho has shone during his big breakthrough in Germany at Borussia Dortmund with Messi, 32, saying:
“His ability to dribble past defenders is impressive.”
Of Mount, he said: “He has the potential to be one of the best”, while Pulisic was also lauded for “great balance and agility”.
Others on the list are already big names, including Paris SaintGermain striker Kylian Mbappe and Atletico Madrid frontman Joao Felix, along with Barca team-mates Frenkie de Jong and Ousmane Dembele.
Real Madrid pair Luka Jovic and Eder Militao, Lyon midfielder Houssem Aouar and Bayer Leverkusen’s Kai Havertz are also named. Bayern Munich defenders Joshua Kimmich and Benjamin Pavard finish the list.