Diego Maradona has revealed the advice he gave Lionel Messi which he says helped turn the Barcelona star into a world beater.
Maradona coached fellow Argentina legend Messi when he was manager of the national team between 2008 and 2010.
He claims he taught the five times Ballon d'Or winner how to become a goalscoring machine during the 2010 World Cup.
Messi has scored 136 goals for Argentina, while Maradona, who played in a slightly deeper role, hit 24 for the national team.
The two most famous of those goals were the famous 'Hand of God' and his incredible solo effort and which knocked England out of the 1986 World Cup and sent Argentina on their way to eventual victory in Mexico.
Maradona, now coach of Argentine club Gimnasia, said in quotes reported by Sport: "At the World Cup where I was the coach (of Argentina), I took charge of the best version of Messi.
"I'll tell everyone that. He was incredible. After training had finished, we stayed behind to practice shooting. That's when he started taking more shots at goal.
Maradona added: "Not because I showed him how to! I only said: 'You need to hit it into the middle'. Now he scores all the time!"
Maradona has following his appointment as the Argentine club's new boss.
The club are bottom of the Argentinian division, but Maradona said: "We are going to fight it with the kids. God willing, Gimnasia is saved."
The ex-Barcelona and Napoli forward has taken up the reins at Gimnasia until the end of the season.
Meanwhile, Barcelona are to Messi - as a clause in his current deal means he could walk away at the end of this season.
Messi, who has spent his entire professional career with the Spanish giants, signed fresh terms in November 2017 - an agreement that extended his stay until 2021.
Barca chief Josep Maria Bartomeu is believed to be working on offering him a new contract in the coming months, knowing that his prized asset is by no means tied to the club for another two seasons.
According to reports, a clause in his contract means Messi can opt to terminate his contract every June 30 now that his 32nd birthday has passed.
