Lionel Messi has opened up on having to play in England during the winter months – and it may answer whether or not he ‘could do it’ on a cold night in Stoke.
In total, Messi has scored against six different Premier League clubs, including nine goals in six matches against Arsenal.
The Argentine also netted in games against Manchester City [7], Manchester United [4], Chelsea [3], Liverpool [2] and Tottenham [2] down the years, bagging 27 times in 35 games in all.
His record is certainly admirable but the eight-time Ballon d’Or winner has made an honest admission about playing in England.
Speaking to YouTube channel Abitare, Messi says he “suffered a lot” during those games against the previously mentioned clubs.
“When I had to play in England in winter time the truth is that I suffered a lot,” he said. “I’m telling you, my feet feel hard, they fall asleep and I suffered a lot.”
Back in 2018, Messi offered a no-nonsense response when Spanish journalist Guillem Balague asked how he would fare on ‘a cold windy night at Stoke’.
He said: “They should have seen the pitches in Rosario I used to play in, and I was quite good there too.”
Former Stoke City manager Tony Pulis also gave his take on the age-old question. “He could do it anywhere you know,” he told SPORTbible.
“He’s just absolutely extraordinary player. “He might not get involved as much as maybe he might do in a warm climate. But he’d do two or three things during the game that would win the game. That’s what he is. He’s just a special special person.”
Pulis, however, isn’t convinced that Messi is the greatest of all time.
“No I’ve spoken to people about this,” he added. “I’m a [19]50s baby so you know, I can remember Pele, [Diego] Maradona.
“Then I’d go Messi, [Cristiano] Ronaldo, they would be four standout and then you’ve got you know, again, it’s great players of their time.”
Rory Delap, another cult hero at the Britannia, has no doubts about Messi doing the business at Stoke.
“I don’t think so, I don’t think so. No, I think the thing you saw with the top players, we made it hard for teams but we never got a result,” he told SPORTbible.
“Against United, they were the top team at the time. With Sir Alex Ferguson, he’d seen it all before with the Wimbledons and the teams of that era.
“He set the team up to go and win and I think they won every game when I was at Stoke so I think the top players don’t let stuff like that affect them. Arsenal were a great side at that time, maybe it got to them a bit.
“Chelsea, we always struggled against Chelsea. They were the top three teams at that stage. They never really struggled with the cold, wet night there. So you’re talking about Messi and players like that, I think they’re just elite. They’re another level. It doesn’t matter where they go, they will perform.”
Source: SPORTBible
