THEO WALCOTT admits he begged Lionel Messi “don’t embarrass me” during Arsenal’s regular clashes with Barcelona.
But the Southampton new boy is still gutted Messi has chosen PSG rather than a Premier League giant.
Six-time Ballon d’Or winner Messi, 34, is “impatient to start a new chapter of my career” on a two-year deal with the French giants, earning £650,000 per week plus a £25million signing on-fee
And although Walcott feels privileged to have shared a pitch with the Argentina superstar, he was desperate for British fans to see Messi on a weekly basis.
Ex-England speedster Walcott, 32, told talkSPORT: “I’m quite sad we won’t get to see him in the Premier League.
“I was lucky I was able to play against him in that famous team of his.
“I just feel like for our generation, him coming to the Premier League would have been the icing on the cake.”
But on a personal level one-time Gunners’ hero Walcott reveals he was worried about being bamboozled by Messi’s trickery.
He explained: “I remember he had a corner and I said: ‘Please don’t embarrass me’.
“He ended up passing the ball back [for a short corner] so I did my job!”
“I’m going to enjoy him at PSG and I’m sure he’ll get to play against English teams.”
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Messi will now be reunited with former Barca strikepartner Neymar.
And he told PSG’s website: “The club and its vision are in perfect harmony with my ambitions.
“I am determined to build something great for the club and for the fans.”
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