The Argentine captain has named Frank Rijkaard, ahead of Pep Gourdiola, as the most important coach of his career. Messi started out as a left winger under Rijkaard before the Dutchman move the current FIFA Ballon D’or holder to the right wing where he become the potenet goal-scoring machine that he is.
”All the coaches I had at first left me things, but I think the most important thing in my career was Rijkaard, Messi told MBC. If he had not decided to get me in the first team to train and play perhaps I had never reached the first team. I always said [Riikaard] was, for me, a very important person because he trusted me. He made me play in the first team.”