“Don’t watch Messi” - Rio Ferdinand names former Barcelona star that Marcus Rashford should look up to instead of Lionel Messi

Rio Ferdinand has offered a piece of advice to Barcelona’s new signing, Marcus Rashford, urging him not to model his game after eight-time Ballon d’Or winner Lionel Messi.

Rashford, who joined Barcelona last month from Manchester United on a loan deal, made his first outing for the Catalan giants in a friendly match with Vissel Kobe and was on the scoresheet in the clash against K League side Daegu.

Speaking on his Rio Ferdinand Presents podcast, Ferdinand believes Marcus Rashford would benefit far more by studying the work ethic and tactical discipline of Pedro Rodriguez rather than trying to emulate the flair and brilliance of superstars like Lionel Messi and Thierry Henry.

"If I was on his team now, I'm going 'Right, don't watch Messi, don't watch Henry, don't watch Eto'o, don't watch Villa, watch Pedro, the winger from before in our time. Why am I watching him? He's not the best player, he's not as talented, he's not like Marcus, he don't play the same way, no, no, no.”

Emphasizing why Pedro should be Rashford’s role model, Ferdinand recalled when his Manchester United side deliberated about the Spaniard's threat even when Barcelona had Messi, Xavi, and Andres Iniesta.

"The press, he was the instigator, he was the trigger, bang and he was aggressive without the ball. We probably spent as much time talking about him as anyone else in the team before the game. And in that Barca team, I guarantee you, you speak to all them man, Xavi, Iniesta, Messi, talk about great players in that team, he'll be one of the first names they talk about because of what he gave them."

During an interview shortly after his move to the Catalan club, Marcus Rashford named Lionel Messi as his favorite Barcelona player of all time. He also named teenage sensation Lamine Yamal as the player he is looking forward to playing with at the club.

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When Marcus Rashford said Barcelona legend Lionel Messi ‘is the greatest ever’

Marcus Rashford once raised eyebrows when asked to weigh in on the GOAT debate between Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo. Despite eventually playing with Ronaldo during the 40-year-old’s ill-fated second stint at Old Trafford, Rashford had once claimed that Messi is the greatest player of all time.

He told CNN Sports in an interview in 2018:

“Some of the stuff that he does is unbelievable. I’m a big fan of (Cristiano) Ronaldo as well, but I think Messi is the greatest ever.”

To date, Marcus Rashford and Lionel Messi have played against each other twice, which came in the 2019 UEFA Champions League quarter-finals, between Manchester United and Barcelona. Barca came out on top across both legs with a 4-0 aggregate win.

Edited by Nived Zenith