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Liverpool Echo
Liverpool Echo
Sport
Peter Harris

Liverpool's 'little Lionel Messi' stuns fans again as he continues development

Arat Hosseini has stunned Liverpool fans once again with his latest video shared on social media.

Hosseini, also known as the 'little Lionel Messi' is enrolled at the Reds ' academy and even though he is just six years old, he is already being labelled as a future superstar of world football.

It's easy to see why as his father regularly posts videos of his trickery and skill with the ball onto an Instagram account he runs on behalf of his son.

The page has gained attention from Messi himself and posts have been shared far and wide including by Hollywood actor Will Smith.

Arat's Instagram account has accrued an astonishing 4.6 million followers, including boxer Anthony Joshua, former Manchester United defender Rio Ferdinand and Liverpool Champions League winner Luis Garcia.

In the most recent video, Arat leaves several opponents in his dust before producing a finish his Argentine idol or even Mohamed Salah would be proud of.

One of his young foes is clearly frustrated with having let Arat get away from him and finish as he pounds the ground in frustration with his fist.

While the video may not have been originally recorded in Liverpool, Reds fans can't help but wonder if they'll get to see him in the famous shirt one day as he continues to train at the club's academy.

One fan responded to ESPN, who shared the video prophesying Arat linking up with Harvey Elliott will be like the Messi and Ronaldinho partnership for Barcelona.

Before the first UK lockdown last year, Arat was training twice a week at the academy, playing one match a week, and having one-to-one training a further two days with Liverpool-based Kickerz Coaching.

Since restrictions came in, he trains at home three to four hours every day in their lounge but that clearly hasn't slowed down his online presence.

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