"It was a no-brainer" - DeAndre Yedlin opens up on Lionel Messi's first words to him after offering the Inter Miami captain’s armband
Former USMNT defender DeAndre Yedlin has said that he decided to hand Lionel Messi the captain's armband on the latter's debut for Inter Miami. He added that the Argentine ace refused initially but agreed to wear it after coming on the pitch.
Speaking to FourFourTwo, Yedlin claimed that he spoke to the coach minutes before Messi made his debut and asked if the Barcelona legend was expecting the armband. The defender insisted on the legendary footballer leading the side and said:
"He started on the bench then came on around the 60th minute. At halftime, I asked the coach if he wanted me to give him the armband, and he said it was up to me. In my head, I thought: 'There's no way I'm on the field wearing the captain's armband while Messi's also on the field'. So for me, it was a no-brainer to give it to him."
He further said:
"I went up to him and told him: 'Hey, when you come on, I'm going to give you the armband,' just so that he wasn't surprised or anything. At first, he said: 'No, no, no, you're the captain, you wear it,' and I said: 'No, trust me, I'm going to give it to you.' He agreed, and that was it."
Lionel Messi played a key role in helping Inter Miami win the Leagues Cup last season. Yedlin, meanwhile, left the club for FC Cincinnati at the end of the season.
When former Inter Miami captain shared how Lionel Messi is off the pitch
DeAndre Yedlin spoke about Lionel Messi last year and revealed that the Argentine was a nice person to hang out with off the pitch. The defender said that the legendary footballer was always smiling and liked to talk to everyone on his team.
Yedlin told the media via ESPN:
"Just his overall vibe and attitude ... he's always smiling, he talks to everybody. He could have come in and said, 'I'm doing stuff my way and that's how it's going to be.' But he's come in and he's completely mixed in with the group: the old guys, the young guys, just like a regular player. Obviously I had ridiculous respect for him as a player before I played with him, but I have even more respect for him now. He's an unbelievable human being."
Lionel Messi led Inter Miami to the MLS Supporters' Shield title this year. They are now battling Atlanta United in the MLS Cup Playoffs and are set to face off in the third match of the first round this week.