Lionel Messi has been at Barcelona since he was a small boy and during his time at the Catalan club, he has seen hundreds of players come and go. Only a handful of players such as Andres Iniesta and Dani Alves have struck up that almost telepathic bond with the Argentine, however, but Sergio Busquets is one of them.
The Spaniard has just marked a decade since making his debut for the Barcelona first team against Racing Santander and has been a vital figure in the side ever since. He has won everything in football including La Liga, the Champions League, the World Cup and the European Championships and it seems Messi recognised his talent almost instantly.
Now Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola has recalled the conversation he had with Lionel Messi which lead to Busquets becoming such a key figure in the first tea,.
"I remember what Messi told me," Guardiola told Universo Valdano.
"After two or three days of training with him, he came to me and said, 'I like this one'. And I said, 'When there is trouble, he will be there'."
Guardiola added: "He does everything for those around him."
It seems the little Argentine has an eye for a talented player as Busquets has become the best holding midfielder in the world. His partnership with Xavi and Iniesta was simply sublime for club and country as they dominated football for almost five years. Pep Guardiola was the man who revolutionised the way modern football was played and Busquets was his reliable man in the middle of the park.
What a player.
