How Rangers nearly signed Lionel Messi with the help of Football Manager

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Glasgow Rangers had been no strangers to signing gamers from Barcelona within the early 2000s, paying massive cash for Mikel Arteta and Ronald de Boer.

Nevertheless, these at Ibrox practically introduced in Lionel Messi from the Catalan giants earlier than he broke into the first-team image on the Nou Camp.

The Argentina icon is rightly recognised as among the finest footballers to ever play the sport and hasn’t appeared again since making his senior Barcelona debut on the age of 17 in 2004. He spent 17 years with Barcelona earlier than signing for Paris Saint-Germain after which Inter Miami.

Lionel Messi's main honours

12 months received

Ballon d'Or

2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2015, 2019, 2021, 2023

World Cup

2022

Copa America

2021, 2024

Champions League

2006, 2009, 2011, 2015

La Liga

2005, 2006, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2013, 2015, 2016, 2018, 2019

Ligue 1

2022, 2023

Uefa Tremendous Cup

2009, 2011, 2015

Membership World Cup

2010, 2012, 2016

Copa del Rey

2009, 2012, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2021

Spanish Tremendous Cup

2005, 2006, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2013, 2016, 2018

Supporters' Protect

2024

MLS League Cup

2023

Olympic Gold Medal

2008

French Tremendous Cup

2022

Messi has received every part there may be to win within the recreation, together with eight Ballon d’Or awards, and he lastly claimed World Cup glory together with his nation in 2022.

Nevertheless, issues may have been so totally different for the magician, if these in Glasgow received their manner.

How Rangers practically signed Messi from Barcelona As per a report from Objective, Rangers truly made enquiries to signal Messi on mortgage from Barcelona previous to his senior debut. Sadly, these efforts had been turned down by these on the Nou Camp, nevertheless it was Alex McLeish’s son, Jon, who discovered Messi.

Speaking on Graham Hunter's The Massive Interview podcast in 2017, McLeish went into element on how his son’s love of Soccer Supervisor alerted him to Messi in 2003, with Rangers on the seek for a alternative for Barry Ferguson.

“My son Jon was into Championship Supervisor. He was consistently giving me names in South America. They arrive out of the sky and say ‘Lionel Messi goes to be the perfect participant on the planet’.

“He was 13 or 14 on the time. You dismiss it however Rangers had been downsizing and we had been searching for some high quality in midfield.

“Barry Ferguson had gone all the way down to Blackburn so we misplaced a man who would have taken the ball in any stadium anyplace on the planet. We wanted gamers of that ilk once more.