Inter Miami and United States defender DeAndre Yedlin has hailed the off-field values of new teammate Lionel Messi as the pair prepare for Saturday’s Leagues Cup final against Nashville SC on Saturday.
While Yedlin was well aware Messi was an incredible soccer player long before the World Cup champion arrived in South Florida last month, he acknowledged Friday that what he didn’t know about were the Argentine’s qualities as a teammate and a human being, especially for someone with such a legendary status in the sport.
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“Just his overall vibe and attitude … he’s always smiling, he talks to everybody,” said Yedlin of the seven-time Ballon d’Or winner during a news conference Friday.
“He could have come in and said, ‘I’m doing stuff my way and that’s how it’s going to be.’ But he’s come in and he’s completely mixed in with the group: the old guys, the young guys, just like a regular player.
“Obviously I had ridiculous respect for him as a player before I played with him, but I have even more respect for him now. He’s an unbelievable human being.”
