“He can run everywhere” - Yaya Toure names Lionel Messi and other Barcelona icons alongside Premier League legend in dream 5-a-side team
Yaya Toure recently shared his dream 5-a-side team from the players he played with, which included former Barcelona teammate Lionel Messi. Toure, who called time on his professional career in 2020, is considered one of the finest central midfielders in Premier League history.
From his rise to fame at Barcelona to cementing his legacy at Manchester City, the Ivorian midfielder shared the locker with some of the sport's great names.
During an interview with Manchester United legend Rio Ferdinand, Yaya Toure was asked to name his best 5-a-side team from the players he played with, excluding goalkeepers. Toure initially found it difficult to make his pick before naming Samuel Eto’o, Didier Drogba, Lionel Messi, Andres Iniesta, and Thierry Henry.
The former Ivory Coast international told Rio Ferdinand Presents:
"I’ve been lucky to share the pitch and dressing room with some incredible players. If you ask me to pick only five, it’s going to be very difficult because I’ve been blessed in that regard. Can I pick a team full of attacking players? Since I’m a coach now, I always try to balance my team but I don’t have to do that here right?"
“Okay, I’ll try my best - Samuel Eto’o, because he runs everywhere, he can do everything. Drogba in his peak because he can score goals, achieved so much and a big brother to me. Messi, Iniesta and Thierry Henry.”
"He's very good with the ball" – When Yaya Toure said Lionel Messi is the best player he’s played with
Back in 2015, Yaya Toure stated that Lionel Messi is the best player he’s ever played alongside, labeling the Argentine icon a genius. Toure played with Messi at Barcelona from 2007 to 2010 and joined Manchester City after his three-year spell at the Catalan club.
While playing for City, Toure acknowledged Messi’s greatness, telling BT Sport (via ESPN):
"The best player I have played with is Messi. I'll tell you something, I once heard Patrice Evra and Carlos Tevez say that Cristiano Ronaldo works really hard, but Messi is different."
"Messi is a genius. It's natural. In training he's simple. He's very good with the ball. He's always with the ball, but he never does anything crazy. He's thinking about the game."
He added:
"We played against [Barca] in the last Champions League. In fact, we've played against them in the last two season. Last year in the dressing room he told me he was going to nutmeg me. He'd done that before, say he was going to do it to one guy or another."
"I saw him nutmeg two of my teammates and was so scared he'd do it to me. Whenever he came near me I screamed inside 'Please not me, don't nutmeg me.' I was afraid he'd embarrass me in front of my family."
While Yaya Toure has retired from the sport, Lionel Messi is currently playing for Inter Miami in the MLS.