Former Everton striker Samuel Eto’o launched into a fiery rant with a reporter after a question about his time at Barcelona alongside Lionel Messi.
The retired Cameroon international was in the same team as the Argentinian at the Camp Nou, between 2004-09.
However, Eto’o lashed out a reporter for saying that he “played alongside” Lionel Messi rather than the other way round – having previously stated that his Messi’s career “changed” because of his advice.
Now aged 40, Eto'o is six years older than his former team-mate, and had a hand in helping him adjust to first-team football back in 2004 – as Messi is now doing for teenager Ansu Fati.
Given this, the reporter on Road to 2022, the account for the next World Cup, the reporter asked: “You mention Messi, what can he [Ansu Fati] learn from Messi? You obviously played with him...
Eto'o replied: “No. He played with me it's different. Messi played with me. I didn't play with Messi.
“In my time, Messi played with me. It's totally different. It's totally different.”
Back in 2014/15, Eto’o made just 20 appearances for Everton, scoring four goals before making a mid-season move to Sampdoria.
With an Olympic gold medal from the 2000 games in Sydney, at international level four-time African Player of the Year Eto'o participated in four World Cups and six Africa Cup of Nations tournaments, twice winning the latter, a competition he remains the all-time leading scorer in while he is also Cameroon's all-time leading scorer.
In the club game he won a FIFA Club World Cup; three Champions Leagues (two with Barcelona and one at Inter); four domestic titles (three La Liga, one Serie A) and four domestic cups (two Coppa Italias and a Copa del Rey with both Barcelona and Mallorca), finishing with figures of 371 goals in 764 games.
Do you want an exclusive pre-season Everton preview - both in your inbox and through your letterbox? Head over here to find out more and secure your copy.
