Lionel Messi still has 3-4 years at highest level, reckons Carles Puyol

Barcelona and Spain’s legendary defender Carles Puyol feels that Lionel Messi still has three to four years at the highest level if he doesn’t pick up a serious injury. Messi at Barcelona broke Pele’s record of scoring the most number of goals for a single club and cemented his legacy as one of the greatest of all-time even more. Messi scored his 644th goal for Barcelona while surpassing Pele’s 643 goals for Santos.

Puyol said that Messi, despite being 33 years old, is motivated and eager to keep going at the highest level.

"He is now 33 years old and takes care of himself. He is motivated and eager, and I think he has three or four years to go at this level if he is lucky enough to not have any major injuries and if he continues playing with the same desire to improve and keep winning, with that motivation. I think we still have Leo for a while," Goal.com quoted Puyol as saying.

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Taking back on Messi’s career, where the Argentine has been at the peak for almost 15 years, Puyol said: "I am sure that talent is not enough. Talent is needed, of course, but also work and dedication, a desire to learn and be motivated to seek new challenges every day. We have seen it in Messi.

"He is not the same player today as he was when he started. He has been adding records and improving, he is a very complete player who can set the rhythm of the game, score free kicks, goals, give assists. He does practically everything!" he added.

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Puyol added that Messi has evolved over the years and became even more impressive while lauding him the “best of all time”.

"In the beginning, he was very good, but one of those players who you give the ball and he does his individual move. He made the difference and scored goals. He was already very good [at a young age], but over the years he has become an even more impressive player, the best of all time," he said.

Puyol was part of the Barcelona team when Messi made his senior debut in 2004 against Espanyol. As Messi kept on growing in stature, he brought laurels to Barcelona and made them one of the scariest sides in world football.