03 August 2023 , 17:38
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Lionel Messi has taken Inter Miami by storm since joining the Major League Soccer side, scoring four times in three games and taking the captain's armband, but it seems head coach Tata Martino had no involvement in making the star forward captain.
The Argentine icon has quickly settled into life in the US, with his talismanic performances helping to inspire the Herons to three straight victories. He has provided five goals in just three outings so far in South Beach, with his ability to galvanise those around him having been plain to see.
The 36-year-old was, of course, named captain of Vice City following his switch from Paris Saint-Germain, with the hope being that he could be the catalyst to arrest the team's slide prior to his arrival. It is easy to forget that the team had gone 11 games without a win before the World Cup winner made his bow versus Cruz Azul, after all.
However, it has transpired that the franchise's manager will not be able to take the credit for the decision to hand the legendary forward the armband this summer. Rather, former incumbent DeAndre Yedlin decided to hand over the baton to the incoming superstar as he prepared to welcome him to the team, according to Katie Witham of Apple TV.
The former Tottenham and Newcastle full-back has made no secret of his admiration for the seven-time Ballon d'Or holder in the time since he first arrived in Fort Lauderdale. If he was blown away with the Barcelona hero's talents on the pitch, it would seem that he has also been impressed with his teammate's demeanour off it as well.
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Within days of his confirmation as an Inter Miami player, Messi showed his humility to ensure that his new colleague Leonardo Campana had tickets to see his grand unveiling. The Ecuadorian made a request in the team's WhatsApp group and the veteran star was on hand right away to ensure he would not go without.
Yedlin was taken aback by the Argetine's generosity but was left in no doubt that the episode allowed a real insight into the World Cup victor's character. He said: "[Leonardo] Campana was looking for tickets and he put in the group chat if anybody has any tickets.
DeAndre Yedlin handed over the Inter Miami captain's armband to Lionel Messi (Megan Briggs/Getty Images)"I didn't even know whether Messi was in the group chat yet, but he popped up straightway and said, 'How many do you need though?' Straightaway like that. From there I was just like 'Woah!'
"You know what I mean. Like straight off the bat, they maybe know each other for three days or something. But to show that generosity is a great fresh example of how he (Messi) is," Yedlin told reporters.
The Floridan outfit have turned a corner in recent weeks after the introduction of Messi, alongside his former Camp Nou teammates Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba, registering successive victories. The trio will likely make their league debuts versus Charlotte FC on August 21.