Former Chelsea star’s revelations about Leo Messi and Patrick Vieira

There should be plenty of interest for Chelsea and Crystal Palace fans in tomorrow night’s screening of a documentary focusing on former Blues star Cesc Fabregas. 

In ITV’s Against The Odds series, the Spanish midfielder reflects on his first encountering with a 14-year-old Lionel Messi and talks about Palace boss Patrick Vieira. 

Fabregas, who left Arsenal for Barcelona in 2011 and played for Chelsea between 2014-19 said of an early encounter with a young Messi: “I remember very clearly because he sat down next to me. He was very, very small, very, very shy and we remember looking at each other.  

“I asked my teammates who this was and they said a boy on trial from Argentina. He didn’t seem like he was our age at all. He just went out to training and we were doing this exercise of one on one and I had to face Leo.  

“When he faced me, I thought this would be easier than it actually was. He left me on the floor. He did the typical Leo thing, where he pretends to go to the right and he goes to the left. I realised I should take this boy very seriously.” 

On replacing the legendary Vieira in the heart of Arsenal’s midfield as the Invincibles team broke up, Fabregas remembers the conversation he had with Gunners boss Arsene Wenger.

“The day Patrick left was a very sad one but a very important one for my career,” Fabregas said. “Arsene called me into a room before training and said to me, what do you think if I tell you I’m selling Patrick? I feel you are ready and he’s blocking you and you are ready to fly.  

“I took it with a lot of emotion. I thought Patrick was going to hate me. He was my idol because I learnt so much from him. If he’s going to hit me, he’s going to hit me hard. He was happy, he told me I could take the number four shirt.” 

The programme airs on ITV 4 at 9pm tomorrow (Wednesday). 

Picture: ITV