Jamal Musiala, who at only 21 is already a star for Bayern Munich and the German national team, has been frank on who his footballing heroes are.
Speaking in an interview, Musiala said that he chose the #10 because of his favorite players, all FC Barcelona players: Lionel Messi, Neymar, and Ronaldinho.
“I grew up watching Ronaldinho, Neymar, and Messi. All of them wore ten, and for me it was always a dream to wear that number one day.”
Musiala once again confirmed that his favorite players were “without a doubt, Messi and Ronaldinho,” although he confessed loving France, Juventus, and Real Madrid great Zinedine Zidane as a child as well.
Still, his #1 idol was unquestionably Messi.
“I have admired him a lot and always been fascinated by him. I grew up watching Leo and Neymar. They were my favorites because they entertained me a lot and brought a lot of joy to the game. I always stopped to see them: Leo scoring goals or Neymar doing those tricks with the ball. Then I would go to the garden and try to imitate them. I was always a fan of them,” Musiala said.
He even wore Messi’s #19 shirt he used briefly as a youngster for Argentina.
“I wore that shirt when I was little because of my admiration for him. He always inspired me with the way he played and I looked at what he did to see if I could imitate him, and thus be able to become a high-level player.”
Still, he said that he was not ready to be compared to the Argentine great.
“I don’t think I can compare anything with Messi, and that is almost mission impossible. I think comparing myself to Leo or any other player is in vain. I take my profession year by year, and I continue working to try to be better and win titles for my team.”