Lionel Messi may have few memories of November 11, 2014, but the former West Ham prospect was silent on that day.
This week marks the tenth birthday of the Inter Miami striker – who has won the Ballon d’Or eight times, is a world champion and is the record scorer for both the Spanish club and the Argentine national team – during a training match played with Oeste . Under-21 ham.
Carlos Tevez, Javier Mascherano (two old West Ham boys), Sergio Agüero, Ángel Di María and others were there with Messi and before the international friendly against Croatia two days later at the Boleyn Ground, West Ham’s then home stadium. to play. . Among those who faced each other was Sebastien Lletjet, who is now 32 years old and also plays in the MLS with FC Dallas.
“I will never forget seeing Messi, Tevez, Di María and others fall from the coach saying: ‘What are you doing in Romford?’” “Messi dribbled around the whole team and we had no chance to fight him. Nobody wanted to be blamed for hurting Messi.
“I have Argentine parents, from Buenos Aires and La Plata. The coaches found out and brought me in to talk to some of the players. My only regret is that I was too shy to ask for photos. As soon as I got home, I started to regret it. I didn’t want to bother them, but I had to.
“They were attacking us hard in the game. “They didn’t care that we were only 17 or 18.”
Although Messi and company won the last World Cup, their 1-0 extra-time loss to Germany in 2014 in that year’s World Cup final was still fresh in their minds, just four months earlier.
Messi was 27 years old when he played against the West Ham youth team. Last season he scored 41 goals in 46 games for Barcelona. And it was an average year by his impressive standards at the time, with 53 goals in 2010-11, 73 in 2011-12 and 60 in 2012-13.
Josh Paskey, 27, who now plays for The New Saints in the Welsh League, laughs as he talks about a video that has gone viral of him running alongside Messi.
“I remember Messi taking the ball on the right and passing me and four other defenders,” he said. “I just started laughing. Then he reaches our goal. I thought: ‘Wow, Messi is running towards me.’ It was amazing to see what he did on TV, so it was the first experience.
“A teammate of mine recently asked me, ‘Who’s the best player you’ve ever played against?’ I told him: ‘You’re not going to believe it, but it’s Messi.’” Then I told him about the day I played against him. Yes, I explained to him. A few days later the video went viral and I sent it to him.
“The funny thing about that day was that we were training and our academy director, Terry Westley, said, ‘Argentina’s first team is training against us.’ My response was, ‘Is this a joke?’
“The club wanted to keep it a secret because they knew people would flood the area. (But) It was exposed and there were a lot of people outside the training ground. When we arrived at Rush Green (West Ham’s training ground), I lost count of the number of security guards I saw.
“All the kids just wanted to talk to the players and take photos with them. That was the day we all became fans. We were going to play with Messi, Tevez and all these great players. We were in awe of them, especially Messi. .
“We couldn’t get close to the ball. Messi, Agüero and Di María left and then Tevez, (Gonzalo) Higuaín and (Ezequiel) Lavezzi entered. They signed world-class players and brought in world-class players. I always remember that. The quality was ridiculous. The other day we played with his subs and they “He scored six goals in 20 minutes.”
Kieran Sadlier, 30, now a midfielder for League One side Wycombe Wanderers, remembers Argentina didn’t have it easy. “At first I thought it was going to be the Argentine under-21 team,” he said. “Then I looked at their squad online and saw that it was a great team.
“It was a night game, we trained in the morning and everyone was at West Ham to see Messi. Nobody cared about the other players. His manager (Tata Martino) wanted about an hour of proper play.
“I played on the right wing and I thought they were taking us lightly. I remember dribbling and their center back (Federico) Fazio broke my ankle. I was like, ‘Shit, I didn’t think that was the case.’ .” We couldn’t fight them because we would be in trouble.
“I passed the ball for one of their goals and Messi scored. Probably my best assist! I was able to take a photo with Messi but I wish I had his shirt. They told us not to bother them, but it is difficult to do so, when “Messi is the best player of all time.”
Ben Marlow also participated in that practice game.
Now 29, he was released by West Ham in 2015 and played for a number of non-league clubs in the London area before retiring in June due to a persistent knee injury. Although he has a new career, nothing can top the events of that night in November 2014.
“I thought it was a shock, but when I saw Messi I knew it was real,” says Marlowe. “The whole experience was surreal.
Ben Marlowe with Messi at the back (Ben Marlowe)
“The ‘pinch me’ moment. I remember that they brought Agüero, Messi and Di María. I thought, ‘I can finally breathe.’ Then Tevez, (Javier) Pastore and (Eric) Lamela entered the field. The quality was ridiculous. Messi had around seven security guards around him and I couldn’t get close to him.
“At the local school they found out that Messi was at the training camp. Some of the children tried to climb through the door. It was a crazy night and the best moment of my career.
“No one believes me when I play against Messi. I’m a gardener now and when I mention it, people often say ‘you’re talking rubbish’. But when I show them the photos, they say, ‘Wow, you really have it.’ It’s a moment that will stay with me forever. Messi was the best I have ever seen in my life.
After brilliant performances in Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain, Messi joined Inter Miami of Major League Soccer in July 2023. Last Saturday, the 37-year-old team lost 3-2 in the first round of the playoffs of the MLS Cup. Atlanta United in the decisive game of the best-of-three series. For Lletget, facing him in MLS was an opportunity to make up for what happened a decade ago in east London.
“I played against Messi at FC Dallas,” he says. “It was special to compete in a real game. After the game, I finally hugged him. I took my photo! “It has been a blast for me and I will always cherish another moment.”
(Top photo: Lionel Messi at the Romford training ground in 2014; Justin Tallis/AFP via Getty Images)
