Morocco international Achraf Hakimi has described his Paris Saint-Germain teammate and former Barcelona superstar Lionel Messi as being ‘quiet and simple’ in the dressing room.
The Argentina star teamed up with the Parisians in the 2021 summer transfer window, signing a two-year deal after ending his stay at La Liga side Barcelona where he had spent the majority of his career.
Messi has quickly settled into Mauricio Pochettino’s team and has featured three times since his arrival including playing in PSG’s victory over Lyon.
Achraf Hakimi Praises Lionel Messi’s Simplicity at PSG
Messi’s Simplicity Praised by Hakimi
Hakimi who is also a summer arrival from Inter Milan, has showered praises on the six-time Ballon d’Or winner for his humility.
The Morocco full-back told L’Equipe in an interview;
“Building a technical relationship with him is easy! I give him the ball, I run and he will put it where it belongs! I was surprised by the way he behaved, he is simple, quiet.”
A Dream Come True for Hakimi to Play Alongside Messi at PSG
Hakimi has also expressed his delight to play along with Messi and described the opportunity as a ‘dream’ for him whilst also believing the arrival of the Barcelona legend will help the rest of the team members improve on their performances.
“For Messi to leave Barca, like everyone else, I didn’t expect it, and when I heard you were coming here, what can I say? A dream for me!. I played with many great players and the only one I missed was Messi! I am proud to evolve with such a good footballer.
“To progress, I will pay attention to how he trains, how he plays. It will grow the team and each of the players that make it up. We speak the same language, in addition, little by little we are getting to know each other.”
Hakimi broke into limelight during his time at Bundesliga side Borussia Dortmund, after joining the side on loan from Real Madrid.
He made key contribution to Dortmund’s success during his two-year loan stay, helping them to win the DFL-Supercup in 2019.
Hakimi and Messi will be expected to be on parade when PSG take on Manchester City in a Champions League game on Tuesday 28th September.
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