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An nonfiction from Bleacher Report successful 2010 named 25 youngsters who had the imaginable to "be similar their protege" Lionel Messi arsenic they emerged arsenic imaginable stars of the aboriginal – truthful however did they get on, 15 years later?
Messi, of course, has gone connected to go 1 of the all-time greats and astatine the time, helium was described arsenic idiosyncratic who was "changing the look of modern football" with his "dribbles, cleanable passes and shot control".
The study adds: "The timid Argentine has mesmerised the satellite and volition proceed to bash truthful successful the future, but what makes him each the much lovable is his humble attitude."
So, which players had the imaginable to beryllium similar Messi successful 2010?
Pablo Piatti
After making an instant interaction astatine La Liga broadside Almeria, erstwhile Estudiantes winger Pablo Piatti was tipped to travel successful the footsteps of Lionel Messi aft helping Argentina triumph the under-20 World Cup successful 2007.
He near Almeria successful 2011 and would spell connected to marque implicit 100 appearances for Valencia earlier enjoying spells astatine Espanyol, Toronto FC and Elche. He retired astatine the extremity of 2024 aft spending 2 years astatine boyhood nine Estudiantes.
Erik Lamela
Lamela has played for River Plate, AS Roma, Tottenham and Sevilla. He is presently astatine Greek Super League broadside AEK Athens.
Nicolas Lodeiro
Lodeiro has played for Nacional, Ajax, Botafogo, Corinthians, Boca Juniors, Seattle Sounders and Orlando. He astir precocious featured for Major League Soccer broadside Houston Dynamo.
Jose Baxter
At the property of 16 years and 191 days, Baxter became the youngest first-team subordinate successful Everton past aft being brought connected successful their Premier League clash against Blackburn Rovers. He was soon named successful the club's starting line-up to look West Brom, becoming the youngest Everton subordinate to commencement a game.
Unfortunately, helium would marque conscionable 15 appearances crossed a four-year spell astatine Goodison Park earlier moving to League One broadside Oldham. He would aboriginal articulation Sheffield United but was suspended from shot aft failing a drugs trial successful 2015.
In January 2017, helium was handed a lifeline by Everton, who offered him a 12-month contract, but helium failed to marque a first-team quality successful that clip and returned to Oldham successful 2018. Spells astatine Plymouth and Memphis 901 followed earlier Baxter retired successful 2021, aged 29.
Baxter was tipped to marque it large aft his spell astatine Everton. Image credit: Getty
Javier Pastore
Javier Pastore has played for Talleres, Huracan, Palermo, Paris Saint-Germain, Roma, Elche and Qatar SC. He is presently a escaped agent.
Marko Marin
Marin's erstwhile clubs see Borussia Monchengladbach, Werder Bremen, Chelsea, Sevilla, Fiorentina, Anderlecht, Trabzonspor, Olympiacos, Red Star Belgrade, and Al-Ahli. He retired astatine the extremity of the 2021/22 campaign.
Pedro
Pedro began his vocation astatine Barcelona earlier moving to Chelsea. He has since enjoyed spells astatine Roma and Lazio; his existent club.
Sotiris Ninis
He was erstwhile described arsenic "the aboriginal of Greek football" by Djibril Cisse aft an online work suggested helium would beryllium Paul Scholes' successor astatine Manchester United.
Ninis was introduced to the shot satellite successful January 2007, erstwhile helium made his much-anticipated debut for Greek Super League broadside Panathinaikos astatine the property of conscionable 16. A fewer months later, helium would go Panathinaikos’ youngest ever skipper astatine the property of 18 years and 125 days.
Ninis would extremity up staying astatine Panathinaikos for 2 much years earlier getting his large interruption successful 2012, erstwhile helium agreed a much-anticipated transportation to Serie A broadside Parma. In fact, president Tommaso Ghirardi called Ninis “one of the champion young players successful Europe” arsenic helium came successful to regenerate Sebastian Giovinco.
It was the commencement of a dilatory diminution for Ninis. After a forgettable run with Greece astatine Euro 2024, helium made conscionable 14 appearances for Parma successful his debut campaign. Spells astatine Belgian Pro League clubs Charleroi and Mechelen followed, followed by clip astatine at Maccabi Petah Tikva, Hapoel Ashkelon, Volos, PAS Giannina and astir precocious A.E. Kifisia. He is presently a escaped cause astatine 35.
Ninis was erstwhile described arsenic "the aboriginal of Greek football".
Bryan Ruiz: Costa Rican Messi
Ruiz played for Gent and FC Twente earlier joining Premier League broadside Fulham successful 2011. He would aboriginal walk clip astatine PSV, Sporting CP and Santos earlier joining boyhood broadside Alajuelense. He retired successful 2022.
Philippe Coutinho
Coutinho spent 5 years astatine Inter Milan earlier joining Liverpool successful 2013. He aboriginal signed for Barcelona successful a £142 cardinal woody and spent 4 years astatine the Catalan side, though that play featured indebtedness spells astatine Bayern Munich and Aston Villa.
He precocious signed for Brazilian broadside Vasco da Gama from Villa.
Frank Acheampong
At the time, Acheampong was a 17-year-old Ghanaian prodigy that was being labelled the adjacent Messi. Manchester City were seemingly tracking the youngster arsenic helium continued to impressment for Ghanaian broadside Berekum Chelsea.
He would aboriginal get his large determination to Belgian broadside Anderlecht and would marque implicit 150 appearances for the nine earlier Chinese Super League outfit Tianjin TEDA. He presently plays for Henan FC successful China.
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Ioannis Fetfatzidis
Fetfatzidis was labelled the "Greek Messi" successful 2010 arsenic helium continued to impressment for Olympiacos. He was praised by Bleacher Report for his superb shot power and "excellent oculus for goal" but ultimately, the winger struggled to unrecorded up to expectations.
He spent 2 years astatine Italian broadside Genoa betwixt 2013 and 2015, earlier spells astatine Al‑Ahli, Aris Thessaloniki, Al‑Khor, Al‑Sailiya, SPAL and APOEL. He astir precocious played for Greek Super League broadside Aris Thessaloniki.
Alexis Sanchez
Sanchez has played for Cobreloa, Udinese, Colo-Colo, River Plate, Barcelona, Arsenal, Manchester United, Inter Milan and Marseille. He presently plays for Udinese.
Alexis Sanchez failed to find his erstwhile signifier portion playing for Manchester United. Image: Getty
Reimond Manco
Manco has played for galore clubs successful his 17-year career, including Alianza Lima, PSV, Willem II, Juan Aurich, Atlante, Leon de Huánuco, Al-Wakrah, Universidad Tecnica de Cajamarca (UTC), Union Comercio, Sport Boys, Real Garcilaso (Cusco FC), Binacional, Sport Huancayo, Atlético Grau and Santos de Nasca. He past played for Union Comercio.
Nicolas Gaitan
Gaitan's erstwhile clubs see Boca Juniors, Benfica, Atletico Madrid, Dalian Yifang, Chicago Fire, Lille, Braga, Penarol and Pacos de Ferreira. He past played for Argentine broadside Sarmiento and is presently a escaped agent.
James Rodriguez: The Colombian Messi
Rodríguez has played for Envigado, Banfield, Porto, Monaco, Real Madrid, Bayern Munich, Everton, Al-Rayyan, Sao Paulo and Rayo Vallecano. He presently plays for Liga MX broadside Leon.
Matias Defederico: Argentina's Newest Messi
Defederico has featured for aggregate clubs successful his career, including Huracan, Corinthians, Independiente, Newell’s Old Boys, Al Dhafra, Universidad Catolica, Eskisehirspor, San Marcos de Arica, Mumbai City, Universidad de Concepcion, Agropecuario, Apollon Smyrnis, and Mushuc Runa. He presently plays for Agropecuario.
Sebastian Giovinco
At the time, Giovinco was seen by galore arsenic the astir promising youngster successful Italian football. In fact, helium was touted the "Italian Messi" by immoderate corners of the media; each portion drafting comparisons with Alessandro Del Piero. No pressure, right?
The guardant made implicit 100 appearances for Juventus betwixt 2006 and 2015, a nine-year play which besides featured 2 indebtedness moves to Empoli and Parma.
Giovinco went connected to play for Toronto and Al Hilal earlier a short-spell astatine Sampdoria; a spell that included conscionable 2 appearances. He hung up his boots successful 2022 and is presently a Special Advisor and Club Ambassador astatine erstwhile nine Toronto.
Bojan Krkic
Bojan enjoyed a 17-year vocation that featured spells astatine Roma, AC Milan, Ajax, MLS broadside Montreal Impact and Vissel Kobe. He retired successful 2023.
Bojan was tipped to go the adjacent Messi. Image credit: Getty
Kerlon Moura Souza: Brazilian Wonderkid
Kerlon became celebrated for utilizing the 'Seal Dribble' passim his clip arsenic a young subordinate astatine Cruzeiro. After scoring 8 goals successful 7 games for Brazil U17s, helium rapidly became a absorption for galore of Europe's apical scouts, and helium signed for Inter Milan successful 2008.
However, Kerlon ne'er played for them owed to genu injuries, which yet prevented him from becoming a satellite star.
He ended his vocation arsenic a shot journeyman, playing successful Japan, the United States, Malta, Brazil and Slovakia, wherever helium retired astatine the property of 29 successful 2017 aft a staggering six anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries.
Jean Carlos Chera
Chera has played for Santos, Genoa, Flamengo, Atletico Paranaense, Cruzeiro, Oeste, CS Universitatea Craiova, Paniliakos, Portuguesa Santista and Sinop. He is presently a escaped cause astatine 30.
Diego Buonanotte
Buonanotte's erstwhile clubs see River Plate, Malaga, Granada, Pachuca, Quilmes, AEK Athens, Universidad Catolica, Sporting Cristal, Union La Calera and O'Higgins. He presently plays for Chilean outfit Deportes Temuco.
Eduardo Salvio
Salvio has played for Lanus, Atletico Madrid, Benfica, Boca Juniors and Pumas UNAM. He presently plays for Argentine nine Club Atletico Lanus.
Neymar
Not overmuch has to beryllium said connected this one. Back successful 2010, Neymar was 1 of the astir talked astir players successful satellite shot aft impressing for Santos.
"Every nine has made their intentions to motion this prodigious talent," the study from BR said. Likened much to Pele and Robinho helium his inclusion successful the database has been simply based connected the magnitude of endowment helium has akin to Messi."
He would spell connected to bask a trophy-laden spell astatine Barcelona earlier joining Paris Saint-Germain successful 2017, a transportation that remains the astir costly successful shot past astatine €222 million. He presently plays for boyhood broadside Santos pursuing an injury-ravaged clip successful Saudi Arabia with Al Hilal.
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