Dembele Credits Lionel Messi for His Growth and Ambition

The time in Barcelona was not very happy. Most of the time was spent with injuries. However, despite this, Ousmane Dembele said that he learned a lot from Lionel Messi. He said that Messi showed him dreams and gave him advice. And Dembele wants to fulfill that dream shown by Messi, wants to win the Ballon d’Or.

Dembele joined Barcelona in 2017. He had a close relationship with Messi from the start. He played alongside the Argentine superstar for four seasons. Whenever he had problems on the field, he had the eight-time Ballon d’Or winner Messi by his side. He was even allocated a locker next to Messi in the dressing room.

Dembele said this in an interview with FourForTwo. He said, “My relationship with Messi was very good from the first day. My locker was right next to his. He would give me a lot of advice on different issues. It was as if he understood what I wanted in advance. He said, if you want to fulfill your dreams, you have to be serious. From then on, I would watch his game and try to learn.”

Messi’s position, movement, and tactics on the field were all things Dembele had to learn. “Whether Messi played as a number ten or a number nine, his positioning on the field was extraordinary,” he said. “Sometimes he wouldn’t be seen on the field for four or five minutes. Then, when he suddenly got the ball, it was as if everything was written in his brain in advance.”

Dembele also highlighted Messi’s understanding with others in the team. He said, “It’s as if Messi knew in advance when Jordi Alba would step forward, when he would pass the ball. He understands football very well. He positions himself perfectly. And we all know what he can do when he has the ball.”

Dembele played 95 matches with Messi in four seasons at Barcelona. Even after Messi left for PSG in 2021, the memory is still very fresh. So when he was asked if he would one day tell his two-year-old daughter the story of playing with Messi? Dembele’s smiling answer — ‘I’ll tell her now!’