Pundit Thomas Rongen has taken a sly dig at Premier League legends Steven Gerrard and Frank Lampard after what Lionel Messi has done at Inter Miami.
The Argentine superstar has been a sensation in America since moving to Inter Miami last year, with Messi breaking numerous records, and leading the Herons to top of the MLS Supporters’ Shield standings.
Whilst the forward is away for the next month due to the Copa America, Messi’s impact and adaptation to soccer in the United States has been huge, with the Argentine loving life in Florida having left Europe for good.
And former player Rongen has shared what Messi is doing that Gerrard and Lampard struggled with.
Messi praised for not complaining about Inter Miami’s away travel
Speaking on Inside Inter Miami, Rongen noted how Messi is not kicking up a fuss about the lengthy away days Inter Miami have to endure this season, even with the attacker missing out on some trips.
Messi caused outrage last month after the Argentine, along with Luis Suarez and Sergio Busquets, didn’t make the 13-hour round trip to Vancouver, yet Rongen had praised the forward for not complaining, something Gerrard and Lampard famously did during their stints in MLS.
Rongen said about Messi’s attitude: “Anywhere he goes, he’s driven, he has a mental strength after playing at the highest level for many, many years. It should be exhausting, I remember Gerd Muller was pretty much done when he hit 35.
“But stuff like the travel he’s dealt with quite well, it’s always surprised players coming to America, and sometimes it’s an excuse, like Gerrard and Lampard used, ‘oh this country is so big, it’s why I’m not performing well,’ but he never has excuses.”
Messi has continued to be the model professional in MLS
Messi’s professionalism is one of the Argentine’s defining characteristics, with the reigning Ballon d’Or holder giving 100% no matter the occasion of a match or the scale of the opposition.
And the forward has continued this mentality with him to MLS and to Inter Miami, where Messi is showing the biggest names in soccer how to treat the league and its unique logistical problems.
Whilst the away travel is an obvious issue, Messi has not kicked up a fuss or brought up complaints, with the forward going with the flow and doing all he can to play in every road game.