Inter Miami teenager David Ruiz has revealed that superstar Lionel Messi gave him helpful advice during his side’s historic Leagues Cup triumph.
The 19-year-old scored in Miami’s 4-1 victory over Philadelphia Union in the semi-finals and has now praised Messi for helping to improve his game.
The Honduran midfielder has claimed that Messi advised him to be more patient in his play, and that this was a contributing factor in him netting in the Cup victory.
“One thing Messi told me is to stand still more. You want to run for every ball, look for space to have it more, but he has told me to stay still in my position and the ball will come to me,” he stated.
“I tried it and it came off. I was more patient.”
More to come from Messi
Messi’s time in Miami so far has been nothing short of a resounding success. Whilst credit should also be given to Tata Martino, Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba for helping turn the side’s fortunes around, Messi has scored in every game and helped the bottom side of MLS win their first-ever trophy.
Miami will now face Cincinnati in the U.S Open Cup, before returning to MLS action against New York Red Bulls.
They will face tough challenges in both competitions, and the league form in particular is something that needs to change. With just one victory from their last 10 league games, Messi will have to continue his blistering form to give Miami a chance at redemption.
The whole squad has clearly felt Messi’s impact, both on and off the pitch, as individuals have improved their form and the mood has been heavily lifted since he joined in the summer.
Messi as well, appears to be enjoying his football again after two tough seasons at Paris-Saint Germain, and he will be relishing the challenges that lay ahead as he takes aim at the MLS goalscoring records to be broken.