Lionel Messi news: Why Manchester United have picture of Barcelona star in their dressing room

What's the story?

Premier League giants Manchester United reportedly have a picture of Barcelona captain Lionel Messi in the dressing room at Old Trafford.

This was revealed in an article published in The Times, written by award-winning journalist Henry Winter.

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In case you didn't know...

The article, published in 2018, was centered around Scott McTominay's rise to become a first-team player at United after he made his 20th appearance of the season against rivals Manchester City.

A paragraph in the piece lauded the youngster for being grounded despite being a first-team player. It read,

"Scott McTominay still leaves his car round the front at Carrington, rather than in the first-team car park at the back. Academy hopefuls note this too. They also see Paul Pogba strolling over to greet his old coaches. They understand the dedication and humility required to make it at Manchester United."

The heart of the matter

In the article, Winter revealed that the Red Devils dressing room has a picture of Messi cleaning his boots after Argentina's clash with Croatia at Upton Park in 2014.

The image is meant to serve as a reminder to remain grounded no matter how far a player goes in his career. If a five-time Ballon d'Or winner still cleans his own boots, United players can also adopt a similar practice in humility.'

Messi is currently enjoying a spectacular season, having led Barcelona to the top of La Liga and the quarter-finals of the UEFA Champions League.

The Argentine boasts of having 32 league goals and 42 in all competitions so far this season and is on his way to lifting a sixth Golden Boot.

What's next?

Barcelona have been drawn to face Manchester United in the quarter-finals of the Champions League this season. The much-awaited first leg of the fixture will take place on April 10.